Futility continues for punchless Senators
The Ottawa Senators fell deeper into uncharted territory on Tuesday night with their seventh consecutive loss, 3-1 to the St. Louis Blues.
The Ottawa Senators fell deeper into uncharted territory on Tuesday night with their seventh consecutive loss, 3-1 to the St. Louis Blues.
Since this skid started, the Senators have got just one point from a 2-1 overtime loss to the New York Islanders and are clinging to the No. 8 playoff spot in the National Hockey League’s Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Florida Panthers.
Daniel Alfredsson got the only goal for the Senators (27-22-7), during a power play early in the second period.
David Perron scored twice for the Blues (31-14-7), with Chris Porter getting one.
Craig Anderson, making his 18th consecutive start for Ottawa, was pulled after allowing two goals on four shots in the first 3:49 of the opening period.
It didn’t take much reading between the lines to see that Senators coach Paul MacLean was steaming.
“I don’t think we were ready to play the game,” MacLean said.
“You have to be ready at the start. We made one execution error on the first goal, obviously, and on the second goal they just skated right through us, so obviously we weren’t prepared to play the game.”
MacLean went on to say the Senators are at best stuck in neutral and at worse slipping backwards.
“Our team has come out of the (All-Star Game) break and stayed the same,” he said.
“The league has gone to another level, and we haven’t. We might even have gone backwards, I’m not sure yet, but we certainly haven’t gone on to the same level as everybody else in the league.”
Alex Auld, in his first appearance since Jan. 23 in Los Angeles, finished the game and allowed one goal on 14 shots after replacing Anderson.
Blues goalie Brian Elliott made a triumphant return for a victory against the team that drafted him and eventually traded him last season to the Colorado Avalanche for Anderson.
He faced 29 shots for his 16th victory of the season.
Among the Ottawa players who had a tough night was defenceman Erik Karlsson, who made a turnover in the second period that led to Perron’s second goal.
The team is feeling the heat, Karlsson said.
“We’ve got to try to snap out of it as fast as we can,” he said.
“We know it’s going to be tough. This is where it will be decided if were going to be in playoffs or not. We’ve just got to get back to a nice winning streak.”
To do that, the Senators will have to stop being their own worst enemies, as they were on Tuesday night.
“It’s one thing if a team really puts a lot of pressure on us and dominates in its own end and scores that way. You can handle that,” captain Daniel Alfredsson said.
“But, when you give away easy goals, especially in our situation, it makes it a pretty tough night, especially against teams like St. Louis that play good defensively.
“It’s going to be tough to get goals.”
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GAME FILE
WHY THEY LOST: Because instead of the fast start they were seeking, they gave up two goals in the first four minutes, which turned out to be too much to overcome.
STUD: Brian Elliott. He was the dud so many times last year that he deserves this accolade. He didn’t have a difficult night, save for a good chance by Kyle Turris in the third, but he was good enough.
DUD: Erik Karlsson. Remember when his value kept going up and up with each point he got? Now it keeps dropping with every lazy turnover he commits, like the one to David Backes that led to the Blues third goal.
THE DROPPING DIFFERENTIAL: Just two weeks ago, the Senators were above the water line in plus-minus goal differential after spending much of the first half on the negative side. But the losing streak has seen the differential head deep into the red again. After Tuesday’s game, they were minus-12.
asta la vista,here comes the moment murray needed to make a splash in the trade deadline and keep your toques on it’s going to get real cold soon.
Is that supposed to be a coherent comment? Murray doesn’t have to make any splash at the trade deadline; the team just has to get back to playing the hockey that it is capable of and things will turn around. Bahbee, I’d say keep your touque on but it may be too late.
They are playing like they are capable of. What’s with Konopka picking a fight within the first 5 minutes of every game. Its skill that wins, not being a bum
Murray can’t help himself. He’ll see the team hovering around the playoff threshold and he’ll trade a young player for the next Mike Commodore or Martin Lapointe…tell us in his patented way: “Player X is a good guy, he’s a character guy, he’s a good character guy. He’s good people” while we remain trapped in mediocrity to the amazement of the Murrays nd Eugene Melnyk…
Knee jerk comment. It’s a rebuild year; maybe the first of a couple. These guys were expected to finish last and never get within spitting distance of a playoff spot. As a fan, I’m just enjoying the ride. If at the end of the season they’re in the playoffs, great! If not, it’s been a much better year than I, or anyone else, ever expected. So, make a splash? I don’t think so. First of all, no single player can turn a whole team around. Secondly, in a rebuild year why would you sell off the future for the fleeting glory of one playoff series?
You speak truth, sir. That’s pretty much exactly what I was going to post, only I would have written it worse. The fact is: if they’re playing like this in their first year of being together, coach included, as long as they don’t get lazy this is a heck of a start. And the season’s not over, either. Let them get a taste of winning, and let them get the bitter taste of a losing streak. If we can get them a taste of the playoffs, too, that’s gravy.
Why you ask? Because it nets Melnyk $2M for each playoff gate.
I basically agree with you Mike. But the lack of effort and the ineptitude in their own end has to finally be addressed – that’s a coaching and leadership issue. With Philips, Kuba and Gonchar back there, the leadership should be there, but it just is not. Send a message: Get rid of Kuba before the deadline and get whatever you can for him. To my mind, better to use this development year letting Brian Lee develop.
Following tonight’s woeful performance, it’s becoming quite apparent that the Senators will be sellers at the February 27 trade deadline. What’s the point of making a knee jerk trade for the opportunity of playing four additional games? Call it like it is. This is the first year of a rebuilding team that still needs many pieces before it can be considered a serious play-off contender. Keep stockpiling high draft picks.
Why are they still calling it a ‘skid’? These guys are in free fall.
Konopka picked a fight 2:22 into the game. This was not a “retribution” fight, for neither had been on the ice long enough to get under each others’ skin, and Konopka hasn’t played against Crombeen in over a year. It was not a “rally the troops/we need some game changing energy” fight, as the game had barely started. This was a “I have nothing to contribute to a winning effort” fight. I suspect that the Big Z(ero) has a bonus clause for # of stupid penalty minutes in a season.
Solution: next time give him 2 for instigating, 5 for fighting and a game misconduct. Perhaps then MacLean will insert an actual hockey player, albeit when Bobby Butler is on the menu the lack of depth is readily apparent, in to the line up.
Couldn’t agree more rbenn98. Konoopka is selfish. He cares only about his “league leading penalties” and can’t gauge momentum at all. I despise his being on the team and I hope Murray comes to his senses and trades him for, you know, someone that can PLAY hockey…
This team is not playing well.. that is very evident.
But look at the teams they have lost to:
Anaheim, LA, Phoenix, Boston, Islanders, Leafs, St. Louis.
Based on where this team is in a re-build/re-tool… they were not going to win games against LA, Boston or St. Louis. Anaheim & Phoenix were playing great hockey. The Sens have always done poorly on that western road trip.. and in Phoenix they were back-t-back and the 3rd game in 4 nights.. The should have been better against both the Islanders & the Leafs… but they were not.
There were supposed to be at the bottom of the standings almost the entire season.. but they sit in 8th. We knew it would take at least 3 yrs before this team could compete with the better teams.
We all knew there would be good games & bad games this season… that’s what happens during a re-build/re-tool.
Nashville is up next. Now if the Sens could not do well against Elliott, Reimer, Nabocov, M Smith.. they how in hell will they be able to score 1 if any goals against Rinne… the best goalie in the NHL… This streak will hit 8 losses after tomorrow night.
Starting Sat and through next week… Sens play Edmonton, Florida, Tampa & Islanders. If they don’t win 3 or 4 of those games then they don’t belong in the playoffs… then it is best.. they head to the bottom instead of finishing 9th. This will prompt Murray to be a seller at the trade deadline for draft picks… which would not be a bad thing as to where this club is now.
Thank you Sandy for brining to my attention the good and hot teams the Sens have played during this skid. The Islanders have been hot (of late) too.
And yes, they had better beat teams like Edmonton, Tampa Bay and Florida. And I don’t mean eek-ing out some shoot-out win either. I hope Ottawa can rediscover some confidence and carry the play.
I do hope they make the playoffs, and agree 9th or 10th place would be worst case scenario.
Finally, I don’t think the Sens will be sellers. Who can they sell? Gonchar has been much better this year, hasn’t he? With one year left, I’d probably trade him at next year’s deadline, depending how Ottawa’s doing. I love the Senators but I’m not in Ottawa and I don’t have a good grasp on how players have been doing individually. Who would Ottawa sell? Gonchar? Foligno? I know you can’t get good value for a player having a bad year, anyway, and those having good years seem to be our building blocks, which I would NOT trade away (Z Smith, etc).
Comments, please?