SNAPSHOTS: Mathieu Joseph has made his presence felt with the Senators


The newly acquired Ottawa Senators winger has turned a few heads since he was brought here from the Tampa Bay Lightning at the NHL trade deadline.

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MONTREAL— Mathieu Joseph is trying to make himself at home with the Ottawa Senators.

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The newly acquired Ottawa Senators winger has turned a few heads since he was brought here from the Tampa Bay Lightning at the NHL trade deadline March 20 in exchange for winger NickPaul.

For those who weren’t sure what kind of addition the 25-year-old Joseph would be, he’s opened eyes, and that’s why he started Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens playing beside Josh Norris and captain Brady Tkachuk at the Bell Centre.

Joseph went into the game with three goals and eight points in six games with the Senators. It took him a while to find his comfort zone after arriving from the Bolts, but he’s fit right in with the Senators and has been a good addition.

“Coming in, it’s been two weeks, you start to notice what guys are like, the personalities around the room and you get to know their tendencies,” Joseph said before facing the Habs. “It’s been easy from the get-go because this is a great group of guys. They’ve really welcomed me.

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“It’s been good and I just want to keep it going.”

Coach DJ Smith You have appreciated what Joseph brings to the table. no wonder general manager Pierre Dorion was ready to do the deal when the Bolts agreed to put Joseph’s name on the table. Joseph has skills, speed and good range.

The expanded role has helped.

“They’re back-to-back Stanley Cup champions and they’re (full of) offensive players. The players playing ahead of him certainly deserved it,” Smith said. “But when you play 10 to 12 minutes and now you get your opportunity to play up the lineup, certainly he’s taken advantage of it.

“There’s probably a lot of nights he wanted to be out there, but (Nikita) Kucherov and the boys were taking all the ice time, but now’s his chance. He’s making good on it, he works on it, he’s in every shift, he knows how to take care of the puck and he’s been really good for us.

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“And as long as (Joseph) does that, he’s going to continue and he’s going to play lots of minutes.”

LOOK WHO’S BACK AGAIN

There was a familiar face at the Bell Centre.

forward Parker Kelly was recalled for the fifth time this season from the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville on Tuesday morning to suit up against the Habs. He took winger Tyler Ennis’ spot after he suffered a shoulder injury Sunday.

Smith appreciate Kelly’s hard-nosed style and that’s a big reason why he made his 28th appearance with the club this season. He went into the game with five goals and six points, with 37 penalty minutes in 27 games.

“We think Parker is part of our future for sure and we’re going to put him in those scenarios, like penalty killing and what have you,” Smith said. “He just went down to get more touches (on the puck), but with his recall of him here we’re going to get him in some good situations and try to give him a few more minutes.

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“He brings energy, he forechecks and he plays hard every night. It’s a welcome addition.”

GETTING CLOSE

The Habs’ all-start goaltender, Carey Pricemay be closing in on a return.

He took part in the club’s practice Monday and was on the ice for the morning skate Tuesday. There’s no timetable, but it does look like Price, who hasn’t played all season, could be closing in on coming back from a knee injury.

Montreal Coach Martin St.Louis noted Price would probably like to get a chance to play before the end of the year just for peace of mind and to find out where his game is at. He also spent time in the NHL/NHLPA’s Players’ Assistance program.

“That’s probably a question you need to ask the management,” St. Louis said when asked why it would be good for Price to suit up. “But I know for Carey, I think it’s important for him to see where he’s at for himself and how he’s going to take that into the summer.

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“For him to have some answers going into the summer it’s really important for his own individual thing. For me, if you get a small sample of Carey this year and some encouraging things from him, whether it’s his play from him or how he feels after his play from him, I think the Montreal Canadiens are in a better place. It’s Carey Price.”

THE LAST WORDS

With Timra’s season over in the Swedish Hockey League, prospect Victor Lodin is on his way to North America. Selected No. 94 overall in the 2019 NHL draft, the 22-year-old Lodin is expected to suit up for Belleville this weekend. He had 12 goals and 27 points in 44 games with Timra. The club wrapped its season with a four-game sweep of Djurgarden to maintain status for 2002-23. … Smith confirmed Ennis is done for the season as a result of the shoulder injury. He wo n’t require surgery, but he wo n’t play again this season. … With Kelly recalled, veteran center Chris Tierney was scratched for the third straight game. …Alternate captain Thomas Chabot accompanied the Senators on the road but didn’t skate Tuesday morning. The hope is that he will suit up before the end of the season depending on how the hand injury he suffered heals up. … The Habs honored the memory of Senators owner Eugene Melnik with a moment’s silence before the game.

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Twitter: @sungarrioch

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