Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. My heart is shattered like a mirror dropped from a second-story window at Kwik Trip. The Sens are already limping towards the playoffs, barely clinging to that final wild card spot, and now…now Thomas Chabot’s out for up to TWO MONTHS with a broken arm?!?!
I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one, but I just keep thinking of that famous scene from “Rocky IV” where Apollo Creed gets dropped by the Ivan Drago. You know, the one where he hits his head on the ice and all you can see is him twitching like a fish out of water? That’s me right now – my stomach dropped faster than the Sens’ defense when Chabot went down after that cross-check from J.T. Miller.
It was just Monday night against the Rangers, and I’m still replaying it in my head like it happened yesterday. The speed, the impact…the sound of his body hitting the ice, followed by that eerie silence as the play continued on without him. It’s a moment that will be seared into my memory forever – almost as much as the taste of a Culver’s ButterBurger.
I know I shouldn’t get too worked up – it’s just sports. But when you’re invested like we are, every loss feels like a punch to the gut. And don’t even get me started on those last three minutes before intermission…it was like watching my kids Michael-Vincent and Blake when they find out it’s time for bed – all of a sudden everything just falls apart.
Seven goals and 24 assists this season, skating plus-6? The kid’s a rock for this team. Second in average ice time behind Sanderson! You think about how much more we’d be winning if Chabot was healthy…if he wasn’t out here picking up the pieces of our broken hearts along with his own shattered arm.
And don’t even get me started on the injury report – it’s like a WWE smackdown. Lassi Thomson and Nick Jensen are down for the count, Dennis Gilbert’s got two to three weeks left to recover, and now Chabot? The rookie duo of Yakemchuk and Donovan made their debut in Tuesday’s win over Detroit, but even that feels like a Band-Aid on an arterial bleed.
So here we sit – our team battered and bruised, fighting for every point as the playoffs loom on the horizon. It’s like being trapped in the arena during a power outage – you can only feel your way through it, praying that somehow, someway, things will go back to normal before the lights come back on.
But we’re not out of this yet! We’ve still got 12 games left and a whole lot of grit. I’m counting down the minutes until Chabot returns, even if it’s just in time for a playoff run. In the meantime? We’ll have to do this thing without him – like that one episode of “The Walking Dead” where they were down to the last few survivors.
I’ve ranked the injuries from worst to best:
10. Dennis Gilbert (2-3 weeks) – The veteran’s got some experience, but three weeks is a long time when every point matters.
9. Lassi Thomson (day-to-day) – Let’s hope this isn’t serious; we can’t afford to lose another D-man.
8. Nick Jensen (2-3 weeks) – This guy was playing solidly, and losing him stings.
7. Sanderson (upper-body injury) – We know he’ll be back soon, but the longer he’s out, the worse it gets.
6. Chabot (broken arm, up to 8 weeks) – The kid’s a rock, and his absence is going to be felt for a while.
But we’re not out yet! I’m holding on to every shred of hope, clinging to that final wild card spot like a life preserver in the storm. It’s going to be a long two months, but with some grit and determination from our boys on the ice…I’ve got faith.
We’ll get through this, Ottawa. We have to.