Game Report: Sennecke Sizzles in Debut
Here are my game notes from Beckett Sennecke’s first NHL game:
first period
Sennecke’s first shift saw him throw a couple of body checks, one along the boards in the defensive zone, and later as the first forward in on the forecheck. Nothing flashy, just an honest NHL shift. The flash would come soon thereafter though, as he scored on his second ever NHL shift, on his first ever NHL shot. Once again, Sennecke showed good involvement physically deep in the offensive zone, and took a smart route, looping behind the net and finding himself all alone backdoor, where McTavish smartly found him with a perfect backhand pass. A perfect play, and a perfect moment for Sennecke with his family in attendance.
The Gauthier-McTavish-Sennecke line had another dangerous shift in the period, buzzing down low on the cycle, with Sennecke getting yet another scoring chance in tight. Later in the period, Sennecke carried the puck through the neutral zone and challenged Brandon Montour one-on-one in open ice, trying an inside-out stickhandling maneuver. However, he basically handled himself into the corner, with Montour driving him wide. Still, the confidence to take on defenders was good to see.
Late in the period, Sennecke had a clever spinning pass at the offensive blueline to keep play alive, but that knife proved to cut both ways, as he attempted a similar maneuver into the slot, which turned into a turnover and an odd man rush for Seattle.
Overall, Sennecke was involved physically in the first, made the needed meat and potatoes plays, and of course, the magical goal. Perfect start.
Second period
The middle frame was quieter for Sennecke, but the details were still there. He laid a solid hit on his first shift of the period, getting in on the forecheck as the first forward. He followed up that shift with a wide drive, where he tucked the puck into his hip pocket to create a more aggressive attack angle, eventually getting a shot off that was deflected on the way to the net. Once again, the aggressive mentality with the puck stood out.
The rest of the period was a mixed bag. While Sennecke continued to play a responsible game for the most part, finishing checks and filling lanes, he also made an error in the defensive zone that led to an extended shift against. As a right shot on the left boards in the defensive zone under forechecking pressure, he attempted to cut back, which the forechecker sniffed out easily, stapling Sennecke into the boards. Sennecke will learn to make the simple play there (chipping the puck out off the boards) in such a precarious position on his off wing.
The period ended off with a power play, where Sennecke flashed some more poise on a zone entry, setting up an eventual McTavish chance and getting involved in a post-whistle scrum.
Third Period
Sennecke’s solid night continued in the third period. He made a clean breakout play early in the third, shielding the puck with his back at the defensive blueline, buying him time to find a teammate skating up ice. He was disruptive as a forechecker once a later penalty kill concluded, getting a stick on puck turnover deep in the offensive zone, nearly resulting in a scoring chance.
Late in the period, he was moved around the lineup, seeing a few shifts with Leo Carlsson. He flashed his transition ability, curling back off of a zone entry, gaining middle ice, then slipping a pass through a defender’s skates to find Cutter Gauthier. He also had a nice puck protection sequence down low to ectend a cycle. In the dying minutes, he was at the point with the Ducks’ net empty, but did not have much to show for it.
Bottom Line: Beckett Sennecke looked like an NHLer in this game. He used his larger frame to protect the puck and create advantages, and wasn’t afraid to get his nose dirty on the forecheck. He also limited the mistakes, really only with one noteworthy turnover in the second period.
The headline will be his first NHL goal, and that moment deserves to be magnified with his family in attendance, but the details in his game were the headline for me. If he keeps this up, he has a chance of sticking around for a good while.