It’s safe to say that nobody really thought the Ottawa Senators would be in such a good position heading into the new calendar year.
That includes the so-called experts, who almost unanimously had this team outside the top three spots in the Atlantic Division. It includes the fans, who in unprecedented levels skipped out on season ticket renewals and stayed away from the Canadian Tire Centre through the first few months of the season. And it probably also includes the team and the Coaching Staff who often called for patience during the first 6-8 weeks of the new campaign.
You would be hard-pressed to find anybody who really thought the Senators would have such a strong start to their season. Heck, even I felt like I was reaching when I picked them to finish third in the Atlantic Division.
Instead, the Sens sit comfortably in the second spot in the Division as they prepare to resume their post-holiday schedule tomorrow night against the New York Rangers. Still a ton of work to do obviously but it’s a good spot to be in as teams approach the half-way mark of the NHL season.
Ottawa’s 20-11-3 record is their best start in more than a decade and has them three points clear of the third place Bruins and with two games in hand. Tampa Bay and Florida, both thought to be serious contenders for a top three spot in the division, trail the Senators by six and seven points respectively. The Lightning and Panthers have both played one more game than Ottawa too.
And while they’re in a decent spot in terms of wins and losses, looking at where they sit in a variety of there are some elements of their game that still have room for improvement.
Goals for- 2.50 (21st)
Goals against- 2.59 (10th)
Shots for- 28.8 (22nd)
Shots against- 30.8 (22nd)
Wins when outshot- 12 (2nd)
5 on 5 goals- 54 (25th)
5 on 5 goals against- 58 (10th)
Power Play- 17.6% (17th)
Penalty Kill- 81.7% (17th)
Save Percentage- 91.67% (7th)
Timely goal scoring and great goaltending isn’t usually seen as a sustainable path to success in the NHL but it has certainly worked for the Senators through the first 34 games of the season.
It’s nice to have a bit of a cushion in the standings but it can evaporate in a hurry especially considering the light schedule they have over the next couple weeks. They visit the Rangers tomorrow, home to the Red Wings on the 29th and then have a couple days off before a New Year’s Day game against the Washington Capitals.
Ottawa will then have a league-mandated five day bye week no games scheduled for Monday to Friday.
For a team that wanted to contend for a playoff spot this year, second place in the Division is a great place to be following the holiday break.
It’s tough to project this far out but something in the neighborhood of 100 points should be enough to qualify in the Eastern Conference and maybe less if the Atlantic Division continues to struggle. A record like 26-17-5 would get them to the century mark.
While there’s still some disagreement over just how good this Ottawa team really is, just about everyone agrees they are miles er kilometres ahead of where they were last season. From the Captain playing 25+ minutes a night to the fourth line guys logging just 8 minutes a game, it’s clear that everyone has bought into what the Coaching Staff is selling. The system is working and the early results speak for themselves.
Lots of work left to be done but the Senators have certainly put themselves in a good position with a strong start.
-The World Junior tournament kicks off today in Toronto and there will be plenty of Sens talent on display. Thomas Chabot (#5) and Team Canada kick off their tournament against the Russians later today. Jonathan Dahleh (#27) and Filip Ahl (#11) are both expected to be in the line up for Team Sweden when they take on Team Denmark starting at 1:00 PM. Dahlen in particular should be fun to watch as most Sens fans haven’t seen much of him beyond the occasional YouTube clip. Colin White (#18) and Team USA play Latvia at 3:30 PM and Filip Chlapik (#14) and the Czechs play the Finns at 5:00 PM.
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