Tim Stützle co-leads the Senators in goals and points but continues to refine the important parts of his overall game that don't make the highlight reels.
When a player has a dynamic game-breaking ability, the 'Wow!' moments they elicit can often overshadow the subtle improvements a player has made in their all-around game.
Ottawa Senators centre Tim Stützle is no exception.
Few players in the league can match his combination of speed, edgework and stick handling, and those traits are on full display each and every night. They make him one of the most distinctive and entertaining players in the league, so that is an emphasized focus for hockey analysts and fans.
Stützle merits credit for his adaptability and desire to become an indispensable two-way player. That willingness to improve away from the puck began early on in his childhood.
Like most young hockey players, Stützle developed his skating at a very young age, and he credited his first coach for helping him hone his skills.
"I had a coach, Peter Kaczmarek," the young centre reflected. "I've been skating with him for a very long time. We did a lot of skating when we were younger, but not as much puck work or stickhandling.
"That helped my skating a lot. If you look at all the kids who were on the team as well, every single guy was a really good skater."
An emphasis on developing off the puck has served him well, and he has carried those lessons into his development as an NHLer.
A ton of praise has been given to Daniel Alfredsson for his recommendation that Stützle change his tape job midgame in a late October game against the Boston Bruins, and deservedly so. The change helped kick-start his production this season. But Tim merits recognition for his ability to make adjustments in his pursuit of self-improvement.
Now in his sixth season in the league, Stützle is cognizant of the challenges that arise from the evolution of the game. Tougher matchups and strategic game planning are designed to slow him down.
"The way the league has been going, it's always been challenging," Tim conceded. "The more we play the same way, the more matchups we will get.
"I cannot focus on what the other teams do, but as long as we focus on ourselves, we'll be fine. Obviously, there are structural things we have to adjust to each game, but as long as we play our game, we will be fine."
The key for Stützle to address these challenges is to make his own adjustments and remain unpredictable.
"I just let my instincts take over whenever I have to," Stützle said when describing his elusiveness. "When I play my best hockey, I play physical. I'm in on pucks and I'm in puck battles, and that's my overall game.
"If I want to have a good game, I have to get into the game quickly and find my legs early."
Like any young player, understanding when to shoot is an art.
"Without shooting, you can't really score," Stützle acknowledged. "I'm still more of a passer, trying to find my guys because I have a lot of fun finding my teammates.
"But in the end, if there's a chance, I've got to shoot the puck and trust my shot. I have to keep doing that. I enjoy setting up my teammates, and it fires me up, but a big goal is obviously pretty nice, too."
Finding that delicate balance between playing selfishly or deferring to his linemates has not been easy.
"You have to have that shoot first mentality," Tim explained. "I'm going to find the right plan, I'm going to make the right play, and I have just got to trust my instincts more.
"If I think about passing, maybe I can shoot it, and the goalie won't be expecting it. If I have a shoot-first mentality, the rest will come."
The points have certainly come. Since changing his tape during that aforementioned Boston game, Stützle has scored eight goals and added four assists in his last 11 games.
On the defensive side of the puck, Stützle's game has continued to mature.
Head coach Travis Green has added Stützle as a regular to the penalty kill. Only Ridly Greig, Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux have averaged more shorthanded ice time amongst forwards than Stützle.
His developing defensive aptitude, skating, and faceoff prowess have not only made him an intriguing option for the penalty kill but also allowed coach Green to entrust him in key late-game scenarios when the score is close.
The perfect example of this came with 2:09 left in the third period of Thursday night's game. It would have been easy for the Senators' coaching staff to play it safely and roll out Shane Pinto's line. To that point, Stützle was under 50 percent in the circle while Pinto finished the night winning eight of 12 draws. Coupled with how good Pinto's line with Michael Amadio and Claude Giroux has been for generating offence and suppressing the opposition, going to Timmy for a vital draw.
That it was a left-side draw probably helped fuel the decision, but to his credit, Stützle won the draw, which led to sustained offensive zone time before the puck was worked from low to high, and a Jake Sanderson shot was tipped in by Drake Batherson for the go-ahead goal.
Stützle's marked improvement in the faceoff circle is one of the more interesting underlying stories this season.
Through his first five seasons, Stützle had a career mark of 43.2 percent. This season, he has won 59.8 percent of his draws.
"I want to be better," Stützle revealed. "I thought I was really good in the playoffs. I don't even know what my percentage was, but I think I was over 50 percent.
"For me, my mindset going into every phase of a game is wanting to win (a faceoff) badly and wanting to be on for a draw in the last minute of the game. It is a mindset. If I want to win a draw, I have a better chance than just going in there and floating my way through it.
"Draws keep getting more important every single year, so (faceoffs) are going to be big for us. I need to adjust and be better."
The lessons of last year's first-round postseason loss to the Maple Leafs stung, but instilled the value and importance of key draws in a game.
In an effort to improve, Stützle has invested time in learning his opponents' tendencies while putting in the work on the ice.
"I have taken a lot of draws against (Pinto) at practice to try and get better at it," the centre explained. "I think my stick is strong enough, but then it's just being quick.
"I have really good hand-eye coordination, so then it is a matter of reading the other guy, knowing what he's trying to do and (exploiting) how I can beat him."
Through the first quarter of the season, Stützle has been exceptional and showcased himself as a more well-rounded player. It is such an encouraging sign when a team's most talented players take ownership of a situation and put in the work for self-improvement.
It's a trait that all winning teams have, and for Stützle to showcase that ability at a time when his line and the Senators were without captain Brady Tkachuk, it makes his play and performance that much more impressive.
By Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News Ottawa
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