Logan Shaw takes the long road back to the NHL with the Senators

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Logan Shaw recalls the details of his first NHL goal against the Ottawa Senators on December 8, 2015, as if it happened yesterday.

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“It was in Florida, my seventh game in the league,” the 29-year veteran said after Friday’s practice with the Senators in preparation for Saturday’s visit from the New York Rangers.

“Craig Anderson was on the net. I had a 2v1 with Derek MacKenzie and it was one of those things Derek was an older guy at, and I was thinking, ‘maybe I should pass it,’ but I hung my head and broke it. . It was the top shelf. It felt good. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. “

It was the first goal of what ended as a 4-2 Senators victory, with Zack Smith, Kyle Turris, Mike Hoffman and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scoring the Ottawa goals. Jaromir Jagr was also in the Panthers’ lineup.

Good memories. The fact that Shaw now has another extended look at the NHL six years later, building on the streak of injuries suffered by the Senators downtown, is a testament that he will never let go of the dream.

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“This is where you want to be, that’s why you play,” he said.

Since those early days in Florida, Shaw has been on a yo-yo journey between the majors and minors: a total of 219 NHL games with Florida, Montreal, Anaheim and Winnipeg, along with 279 AHL games, spanning each and every day that he is in the first league in the world.

After signing with the Senators in October 2020, he spent all of last season with the Belleville Senators, where he served as captain, and was well below the depth chart when training ground opened in September.

The injuries of Colin White, Clark Bishop and now, Shane Pinto, have reopened the door.

“It’s unfortunate, but that’s the business, the name of the game,” he said. “You just have to seize an opportunity and make the most of it. Personally, I have been quite fortunate with everything that has happened here so far. “

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There are some sacrifices. At the moment, he lives in a hotel with his wife, Megan, and their 17-month-old son.

The ticket to extending your time in Ottawa isn’t about delivering a series of standout goals or cashing in on the power play. Leave that for kids like Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, and Drake Batherson.

Instead, it’s about gaining the trust of coach DJ Smith through solid defensive play, getting a few extra minutes doing “all the little things” like winning matchups and blocking shots.

If a goal or assist comes along the way that’s great, but he’s been in the game long enough to know it’s not about his role.

“This happened early in my career,” he said. “I was a full year with Manitoba (in the AHL) without playing in the NHL and the following year I was with the Jets (of Winnipeg).

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“You know, it’s a routine. You have to stick with it. Some guys might say, that’s it, they’re done, put in their work, and couldn’t come back, but for me, you keep working hard and keep moving forward. Honestly, I’m pretty happy with myself right now and being back here.

“There is a lot of work to do, but it is a good step, for sure.”

In the first three games of the season, Shaw saw limited time, playing between five and eight minutes. After Pinto suffered an early shoulder injury in Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks, he played 11:25, with three shots on goal, one hit and a 4-3 record and draws.

“It’s unfortunate when you lose a player in one minute of play because it really messes up all the lines and any chemistry,” Smith said.

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“But (Shaw) is a guy who can give you 10 to 12 minutes. And responsible minutes. I’m starting to get more comfortable with him out there. He’s doing everything he can to stay here. For me, it has been good, it certainly has not been a problem. It is not that I have given up and do not belong here. Skate much better than a year ago ”.

In that regard, Shaw can’t say enough about the benefits of his summer training. Originally from Glace Bay, he is part of the infamous, hard-working Nova Scotia group that also includes Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Brad Marchand, and Batherson. It is much more complicated than a brilliant exercise of spinning and throwing discs.

“He’s working on specific things in the game, working on picking discs from the (boards), fighting, practicing covering the defensive zone,” he said. “These are little things that you don’t get on all those skill skates. It is training for a game. I do not drag the puck with my toe. It would be nice to have, but I’m a pretty straight player. “

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