It’s up to the Senators to decide if they have hit rock bottom yet
The Ottawa Senators are at a crossroads.
Twenty games left in this season and coming off a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks Saturday night to extend their winless skid to seven straight, the Senators left the Golden State with one lousy point thanks to a 4-3 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings Thursday.
Defencemen Thomas Chabot isn’t expected to be out long with a leg injury he suffered late in the club’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks Wednesday, but he’s another key element on the shelf. It’s the third time this year he’s missed an extended period.
Veteran blueliner Travis Hamonic is week-to-week with undisclosed injury and even the club’s callups from its American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville have been hit with the injury bug after Matthew Highmore also left the game in Anaheim.
If it feels to you like this disheartening season for the Senators can’t end soon enough, you’re not alone on that front. There are times it’s looked that way on the ice and the first period in San Jose it appeared that the Senators had that mindset as well.
Yes, the play picked up in the final 40 minutes and goaltender Magnus Chrona made 34 saves, but interim coach Jacques Martin noted that the Senators needed a better second effort in front of the net if they’re going to score goals.
“You’ve got to stick your nose in there for second and third opportunities if you’re going to score goals,” Martin told TSN 1200’s Gord Wilson following the loss.
Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, didn’t move anyone other than Vladimir Tarasenko at the National Hockey League trade deadline Friday but noted a lot of the Senators players “are coveted”.
This group responded by not doing anything to raise their trade value with a lacklustre effort against the Sharks. The Senators have done an excellent job of playing down to the level of their competition this season and that game in San Jose is just another shiny example.
