From the balmy Thanksgiving weather at the gates of the Canadian Tire Centre to the languid post-turkey play on the ice to the lamentable fact that a referee’s call more or less stopped and then reversed the clock early on during the game, losing the Senators their first home goal of the season, time seemed to be playing tricks on Ottawa during a Monday afternoon home opener.
The Sens ultimately lost to the Nashville Predators 4-1, despite Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson seemingly scoring that goal against Predators goalie Juuse Saros, triggering an interminable on-ice tête-à-tête among referees who later called goaltender interference. The ruling unleashed a monstrous boo from the packed arena as the crowd watched the scoreboard flip back to zero. The Predators went on to slip two goals by goaltender Linus Ullmark and two more into an empty net as the Senators pressed to tie it.
“Refs, you suck,” chanted much of the crowd after the call.
Sens fan Emilia Erskine after getting her face painted before the game Monday.
Earlier, under the sun of late morning, the crowd was still full of promise. “I hope to see a Sens win,” said 31-year-old Waleed Rabbani, who works in the finance sector, as he sipped from a can of Strongbow outside the Canadian Tire Centre’s main entrance.
Rabbani demonstrated particular enthusiasm for the chance to see Sanderson and centres Tim Stützle and Shane Pinto, saying that the latter “has been on fire” and adding: “The whole lineup is as strong as it’s ever been.”
Countering pre-game chatter around which goaltender coach Travis Green and goalie coach Justin Peters might put in the crease after Ullmark’s wobbly start to the season, Nick Lupul, 30, riding an OC Transpo express west toward the arena, said it was going to have to be Ullmark.
“You paid a lot of money for him,” said Lupul, referring to the $8.25 million U.S. the Swede is making this season on the four-year, $33 million extension he signed in October 2024.
Sens fans enjoying the nice weather outside the Canadian Tire Centre before the home opener Monday.
It was as if Lupul was speaking directly to Green and Peters — and indeed, covering the outside of half the massive arena when Lupul’s bus arrived stretched a billboard featuring Ullmark’s giant noggin, part of an ad campaign touting a high-tech giant’s product.
After the referee disallowed the Sanderson goal, Nicholas Ballantyne, a 31-year-old city employee, used colourful language to describe the wisdom of the goaltender-interference call, and added: “The goalie had every opportunity to stop the puck — that’s just nonsense.”
The referees were still in playoff mode, Ballantyne contended: “They should have let it go.”
Wearing face paint that was as colourful as his language, Ballantyne rejected the notion that the Sens might be turkey-addled or dazed by the warm October sun, saying: “Ottawa is known for its defensive play.”
Sens fans enjoying the nice weather outside the Canadian Tire Centre before the home opener Monday.
He went on to add: “This is the year we’re going to step it up a notch, they’re going to lead our team to another playoff shot.”
For Nobel Niyongabo, 26, standing amid the TV screens inside the arena, this was his first hockey game.
“I’m a football fan,” said the kitchen-exhaust hood and duct cleaner. Nevertheless Niyongabo, who had been brought to Kanata by his colleague, 25-year-old hockey fan Daniel Kariye, had a word to describe the referee’s ruling: “It was harsh,” he said, with Kariye chiming in: “They took a goal from us, I couldn’t understand it.” Always hopeful, Kariye had just finished saying, “I believe they’re going to win.”
But it was not to be.
Sens fans enjoying the nice weather outside the Canadian Tire Centre before the home opener Monday.
Just then, with the Predators racking up the goals late in the game, a whole family entered the arena concourse wearing the yellow and white colours of Nashville.
“I’m a Sens fan but I cheer for Nashville,” the father, almost shrugging, said, explaining that he lives in Stittsville but that his wife is related to a Predator through marriage.
A newspaper reporter was jotting all this down in a notebook when a woman passing by with and a boy noticed him scrawling.
“He’s taking notes, there’s going to be a test later,” said the woman.
“Make sure to test those refs,” said the young man.
— With files from Bruce Garrioch
Stuart Davidson takes his nephew Jacob to his first Sens game Monday.
Sens fans enjoying the nice weather outside the Canadian Tire Centre before the Ottawa Senators’ home opener Monday.
Sens fans were enjoying the nice weather outside the Canadian Tire Centre before the home opener Monday.
Sens fans enjoying the nice weather outside the Canadian Tire Centre before the home opener Monday.
Related