It turns out the key to turning things around this season was getting far, far away from us.
Thanks to a 2-1 shootout win over the Wild which came on the heels of a 5-4 overtime win over the Red Wings, the Senators return to Ottawa feeling a whole lot better about where their game is at.
Neither game was a masterpiece by any stretch but they certainly showed some range in those two victories. Offence carried the day in the opener against Detroit but yesterday, it was a tighter checking affair and a more defensively structured kind of game.
In the end, goaltending was likely the difference.
Anton Forsberg has had a bit of a rocky start to the 2023/2024 campaign but he turned in his best effort of the year with friends and family looking on. Forsberg stopped 24 of 25 shots in regulation time, set up his fellow Swede Erik Brannstrom on the game-tying goal and then completely shut the door in the shootout.
With a more condensed schedule looming for the Senators, they’re going to need both goalies going so it’s a great sign to see Forsberg looking like his old self in there.
Most importantly, the Senators now head home with a much-needed boost in confidence.
Things were looking pretty grim for this team as early as last week but with three straight wins, Ottawa is now back above .500 (8-7-0) and have caught up to the rest of the pack in the Eastern Conference. For now anyway since they don’t play again in uh forever.
Ottawa’s next game comes on Friday night against the Islanders. The rest of November is actually pretty light for the Senators too as they take on the Panthers two days later and then get another three-day break. Rest up while you can though because December looks pretty daunting. That’s 15 games in 31 days for those keeping track at home.
The Swedish getaway came at the perfect time for the Ottawa Senators. It gave the group some much-needed team building opportunities but also, allowed them to get away from the media and fan-driven pressure that had been building over the first couple months of the season.
The vibes have been reset for the Senators and now they have something to build on when they return to the ice on Friday at the Canadian Tire Centre.
