-I miss Marc Methot more and more with each day. Every game it seems one of the left side defence struggles to the point that MacLean can barely use them. Last night was Patrick Wiercioch’s turn as he was beaten a few times in the first period and ended up with just 10:02. And when one of the left defenceman struggles, that means more of the other two in the line up. In this case that meant both Phillips and Cowen end up playing more than they should. Certainly not an ideal situation for the Senators.
-It also didn’t help that this was one of the worst games Erik Karlsson has played in a couple seasons. Players as good as Karlsson deserve the odd free pass but last night’s game was certainly cause for concern. The nice thing about Karlsson is he usually finds a way to rebound from a tough game. I think we’ll see the best of the Captain on Tuesday night against Detroit.
-It’s crazy to think that just a couple seasons ago there was concern about Mark Stone’s ability to skate at the NHL level. Stone has never been a fast player but in the few years after he was drafted, some openly worried that he would never be able to skate well enough to make it as a pro. That has all changed over the last couple years. Stone is never going to blow anyone away with his speed but the improvements he has made over the last two seasons are noticeable. That 2 on 1 goal last night was a great example.
-As frustrating as last night’s game was, the Senators really lost this one in a two and a half minute span in the second period. The middle period has been an issue for the Senators all season and that was the case again last night. Ottawa seemed to settle down a bit after the two quick goals by Fraser but the damage was done by that point.
-The Senators need to wipe Saturday’s game from their memories in a hurry. They now return home for a stretch of four straight games (DET, MIN, WPG,TOR) at the Canadian Tire Centre. They need to find a way to bank at least five points to keep pace in the Eastern Conference.
