WARREN’S PIECE: COVID-19 is back, Murray begins, Chabot and Zub part ways and Lehner talks to Eichel

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Lost in the headlines behind Brady Tkachuk’s captaincy news on Friday is that Ottawa Senators tough winger Austin Watson has been placed on the COVID-19 protocol.

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After morning club practice, where Watson did not participate, coach DJ Smith said he “feels bad, we’ll know more today.”

Senators then released the news of COVID-19 in the early afternoon.

Watson had played in just two games since returning from an ankle injury in training camp.

There was no immediate word on other roster moves ahead of Saturday’s visit by the Tampa Bay Lightning. The AHL Belleville Senators were in Cleveland for back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday.

Without Watson in training, the line combinations combined significantly. The only unit that remained intact was the top trio of Tkachuk, Josh Norris and Drake Batherson.

Tim Stuetzle skated with Chris Tierney and Connor Brown, Alex Formenton was with Nick Paul and Logan Shaw, and Zach Sanford was lined up with Dylan Gambrell and Tyler Ennis.

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“I only had 12 forwards today so we mixed and matched there, but things could change for (Saturday),” Smith said.

BACK TO MURRAY

Matt Murray will be back in the Senators’ net on Saturday, once again seeking his first win of the season. He most recently played in Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, with Filip Gustavsson in the last two games.

BREAKING IS HARD

In what could be one last move before the senators are forced to make roster changes, Smith has split the top defensive pair of Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub.

With the rest of the defense struggling a lot, the Senators coach now hopes that the strengths of Chabot and Zub can offer balance to the other pairs.

Nikita Zaitsev, who was not involved in Thursday’s 5-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, will return as Chabot’s partner against Tampa. Zub will be paired with Victor Mete, while Josh Brown and Nick Holden will play together. Michael Del Zotto was the stranger.

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“Zub and Chabot have been very good together, but we are not getting results,” Smith said. “At the end of the day, it’s not about one or two or five players scoring points, it’s about winning games. If you are not winning, you have to change and that is what we are doing. I think Zub and Mete can provide some ability to move pucks and also defend and I think Zaitsev has played the best he could with Chabot and we think he is an elite defender. “

For those wondering about the AHL calls, Belleville coach Troy Mann told Postmedia earlier this week that Jonathan Aspirot has been the club’s best defender in the opening weeks of the season. Erik Brannstrom had an assist in eight games before Friday’s game at Cleveland.

STAY COMPOSITE

After allowing five goals in each of the last three games, including a few putts by players who were left alone in front of the net, it is clear that the structure of the Senators is crumbling. The way alternate captain Paul sees it, it’s a matter of composure.

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“There is a bit of a panic,” he said. “As soon as they score, we think we have to get it back immediately and we change our style. We just have to stay calm and stick to our game plan. “

On Thursday, Vegas opened a scoreless game with three goals in nine minutes in the second period.

THE LEHNER FACTOR

The outcome could have been completely different, of course, if Golden Knights goalkeeper Robin Lehner hadn’t rescued his injury-plagued team early and often. Less than a minute after Lehner stopped Zub on an early breakout in the second period, William Carrier broke the ice with a trade against Gustavsson. After his orderly 38 save effort, Lehner is now 9-0-3, with a 1.78 goal-scoring average and a .943 save percentage against the Senators, who selected him in 2009 and traded him to Buffalo. in 2015.

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THE PLAYER’S DEFENDER

Beyond his fondness for goalkeeping, Lehner has become the most cited player in hockey, the leader of mental illness and myriad other ever-buried player problems. After a loss in Toronto on Tuesday, he spent 10 minutes talking about the NHLPA and its response to Kyle Beach and the Chicago Blackhawks scandal.

After Thursday’s game, he was offering his two cents on the importance of new Golden Knight Jack Eichel being allowed to undergo the surgery of his choice. Eichel will soon undergo the risky disc replacement surgery that the Buffalo Sabers would not allow.

“I’ve talked to him quite a bit the last few months here,” said Lehner, who played with Eichel during his first three seasons at Buffalo. “First of all, I am happy for him. He can go and take care of his body in his own way. I think it is something very important for all the players in the league, that we respect their choice ”.

Lehner also says that Eichel has grown.

“There was a lot of pressure on him when he was a kid. I think it has matured. We talk a lot and I think he will be a great addition to our team. “