How Adam Gaudette became the Ottawa Senators unlikely playoff standout
If there's one player on the Ottawa Senators who isn't taking this shot at playoff redemption against the Toronto Maple Leafs for granted, it's Adam Gaudette.
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One year ago, the 28-year-old forward was coming off a one-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks in which he had played just two NHL games.
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After seven years of bouncing between NHL organizations and toggling between the big leagues and minors, Gaudette seemed a far cry from the Hobey Baker-winning star at Northeastern University, where he once led the U.S. in scoring.
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Even this season his future looked uncertain. He was placed on waivers on the final day of the NHL's roster cutdown deadline, only being reinserted after the team changed its mind before the opening night roster had to be named.
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The fact that he is where he is today — playing a crucial role in the Senators' attempt to complete a reverse sweep, with a goal and two assists in five playoff games — is a testament to his willingness to get back to the basics of hockey.
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Spending two years in the AHL between the Toronto Marlies and Springfield Thunderbirds, Gaudette gained a new appreciation for what it takes to be a pro.
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'Everything started to click a little more in Toronto, I felt like every week, every month, I got better,' he told the Postmedia in November. 'Last year, I felt the best I ever have. It wasn't just because I was scoring a lot of goals, it was because I was doing a lot of the right things on the ice.'
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That shift in focus — from big-shot scorer to a more complete player away from the puck — coincided with a breakout AHL campaign. Gaudette finished third in AHL scoring last season with 44 goals and 71 points in 67 games. All he has done this year is follow it up in the NHL with a career-high 19 goals. He was even trusted with power-play time, scoring three goals with the man advantage.
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'He's having a fantastic season,' head coach Travis Green said. 'I think maturity is a big part of why he's in the NHL again.'
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Green, who also coached Gaudette in Vancouver, noted how the forward has acclimated himself to the defensive side of the puck in a way that he hadn't earlier in his career. He also has become more disciplined: His 12 penalty minutes tied with Jake Sanderson for the least among Senators who have played at least 80 games this season.
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'Players, when they first come in, compared to years four, five, six, it's a big difference,' Green said. 'I think he's just really learned the game itself, the important areas of the game and he's applying it.'
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That growth has become increasingly evident after the team's shaky start to the series, where their lack of maturity was apparent. In Game 1, Ottawa kicked off a parade to the penalty box, ultimately handing Toronto the game on a silver platter through their 38 penalty minutes.
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