GARRIOCH: Senators GM Pierre Dorion and coach DJ Smith might have some decisions to make on the roster

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DJ Smith will see changes Monday night.

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However, that does not mean by any effort of the imagination that any will make.

Following the Ottawa Senators’ outstanding 4-1 win over the Stars in Dallas on Friday, general manager Pierre Dorion, Smith and the rest of the staff will have some decisions to make before facing the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night at the United Center. in the second part of a three-game road trip.

The biggest may be at the net because goalkeeper Matt Murray has resumed skating and is eligible to come off injured reserve after receiving a blow to the head from Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers in Ottawa on 23 May. October. If Murray is ready and so is winger Austin Watson, the Senators will have 24 players on the roster, so someone will have to be given up.

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The Senators may always be able to wait longer on Watson because Smith is never good at changing a winning lineup. If that’s the case, the Senators wouldn’t have to assign anyone to their American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville before the trip ends Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center in Minneapolis.

Fortunately, with two days between games, Dorion and Smith have a little time to contemplate which path they want to take. The Senators are heading to Chicago with a 3-4-0 record in the first seven games of the National Hockey League calendar and it is not hard to see that they have taken steps in the right direction this season.

That’s why Smith didn’t want to commit to Monday’s list after the club’s quick skating on Saturday.

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“You don’t want to fix it if it’s not broken,” Smith told reporters in Chicago. “At the same time, we have guys who have to go in and there are little bumps and bruises that people don’t know about. We’ll know a little more (Sunday) about what the lineup will look like. “

Given the fact that Watson is coming back from an ankle injury four weeks ago during training camp, it might not make sense for him to dress in back-to-back games. Smith may want to wear it Tuesday in Minnesota rather than Monday night in Chicago.

Just judging from the line combinations and defensive pairings for Saturday’s practice, it certainly doesn’t look like there is any change up front. It’s very possible that the Senators will send winger Scott Sabourin, who has only adapted for two games, to Belleville when they return to Ottawa.

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As for Murray, that decision will be made in consultation with goalkeeping coach Zac Bierk, so it’s hard to say which path Smith will take.

Yes, Gustavsson stopped 38 of 39 shots in Dallas, but that doesn’t mean the club won’t go back to Murray. He looked good when he suffered the neck injury and there’s no reason not to put him back there if he’s ready to play.

Called in from Belleville after Murray’s injury, Gustavsson recovered after allowing three goals on 15 relief shots in a 7-5 loss to the Washington Capitals on Monday. He has wins in two of his three Ottawa network appearances this season and Smith certainly left many with the impression that he would have another start on this journey.

“At the end of the day, we are in the business of winning games and if the goalkeeper is going to win games and play like that, he will keep playing,” Smith said.

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Of course, Gustavsson’s effort on Friday may mean that Anton Forsberg doesn’t get a chance to play on this trip. Perhaps it would have made sense for Forsberg to face his former team on Monday, but now there are no guarantees that he will even adapt.

Being retired after allowing four goals on 16 shots last Monday against the Caps was a bad moment for Forsberg. The Senators have three goalkeepers who can play at the NHL level and still believe strongly in Murray, so he wouldn’t be surprised to split these two games with Gustavsson.

Gustavsson, 22, is 2-1-0 with a .932 save percentage. Dallas still has a lot of offensive talent with the likes of Joe Pavel, Jamie Benn, Miro Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin, but Gustavsson did a good job. He also made 32 saves in a 3-2 win over the Stars at home on October 17.

“It was amazing and we’ve seen it before too,” said center Josh Norris, who scored two goals in Dallas. “He’s just playing confidently and having a little fun on the net. It was good to watch from the bench and it kept us in the game at certain times. “

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