FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-That’s certainly not the way you want to go into a lengthy break. With a disappointing 2-1 loss against a talented Washington team, the Senators have now lost three straight and missed a chance to put a little space between themselves and the rest of the Atlantic Division. It’s not that Ottawa was dominated in this game. It could have gone either way, which is something we’ve said a few times in the last week or so. The Senators were on the right side of the ol’ puck luck in the earlier part of the season and it’s been evening out a little bit the last three games.
-Another game where you can point to a failed 5 on 3 as the difference between two points and none. Not often you see a team get a full two minutes of 5 on 3 but that’s exactly what happened in the third period yet the Senators managed to waste the opportunity. We’ve talked about this a few times this season but when they get out there on the two man advantage, it’s like nobody on the ice knows what the plan is. Okay maybe that’s not true, the plan is get the puck to Hoffman, regardless of whether or not he’s covered or is he actually has a shooting lane. In those situations, they need to have three or four different options and need to react based on what the PK is giving up. When everyone is standing still trying to force one play, it’s awfully easy to cover.
-Hopefully the team can use this five day break to focus on what went right these last few games and shake off any frustration that may be starting to build during this mini-slump. Oh and to get healthy. Zack Smith was playing some of his best hockey of the season when he went down with an injury so getting him back in the line up will be a boost. The timelines have shifted a little bit on Clarke MacArthur but he’s expected to be available later in the month. Craig Anderson is also hoping to rejoin the team during the month of January but as they mentioned on the broadcast last night, he’ll need a couple weeks to get back up to speed. Add Anderson, Smith, MacArthur to this line up and things start to look pretty good. Then plug Colin White in on the third line, trade for a defenceman to push Ceci down the line up annnnnd go win the Stanley Cup or something. This is going to be a long five days.
-Ryan Dzingel has been impressive all year but as the season rolls along, you can definitely see progression in his game. His speed is obviously his most noticeable attribute but there has been definite improvement in his one on one battles below the goal line and overall play-making ability. He’s playing with more and more confidence and it shows. Really interested to see how the Senators handle his next contract. They’ve shown a strong preference for short-term/low salary and cap hit deals when they can get them with their RFAs but Dzingel is the type of player that would be worth a longer term deal.
-The Senators now begin their five day bye week which will see them next in action at the Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday night against these same Washington Capitals. For the first time, the league has added in a five day bye week for every team, with all 30 teams getting their five days off somewhere between January 1 and the end of February. While the rest is always appreciated, it’s safe to say that given the choice, Guy Boucher and the Coaching Staff would have preferred to have the break a little later in the season. Ottawa’s schedule has already been pretty light with multiple two day breaks in the last few weeks along with four days off for Christmas. It will be up to the players to make sure they’re reading to hit the ground running on Saturday.
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