Ottawa Senators Game Review: Another Pointless Effort

What can I say?

No doubt I could pan the outcome and continue harping on the fact that the Sens are digging themselves into an early season hole.  But no doubt you'll have many an opportunity to read similar throughout the media.

No, instead I'm going to focus on the positive, albeit what little there is.

The fact is, as frustrating as the loss was, the performance was surely an improvement over the first two games of the season.  And ultimately, in considering the season as a process, that has to at least give some reason for encouragement. 

I'd argue that, if this loss had come at a less negative time, it could have been fairly easily dismissed.  In fact, if you were to exclude the first two utterly embarrassing performances of the season and instead have this loss come on the heels of a 1-0-1 start, the mood would be less critical.

But it didn't.

So don't get me wrong, ending a game pointless, in which you led by two goals, with less then half the game remaining, is wholly unacceptable. If that performance represents the teams best effort, improvement or not, then the future looks bleak indeed.

But, I for one (and at this point, maybe the only one), remain absolutely convinced the Sens have yet to play at even half of their ability. 

Why?

I suspect a combination of insufficient preseason play for the full roster, poor play by certain individuals counted on to be impact players (Regin, Karlsson) and a general dysfunction by the defensive corp.

The defense has been, in a word, terrible.  I blame some of this on the coaching.  We have seen, in only five games, every combination of pairings possible.  No wonder every defenseman is playing like he's on an island, he has no idea where his partner is or even who his partner is from shift to shift.  Combine this mix and match system with choosing to play your best offensive defenseman on his off side, to accommodate a rookie, and you have the makings of one big cluster...

In order to win, this team has to play to win at all times.  There can be no protecting a lead, because this team isn't built to play "Kitty bar the door" hockey; it's built to rush the puck and cycle in the offensive end.

Unfortunately the defensemen are not rushing the puck; instead they're being forced to attempt long outlet passes, telegraphed so clearly due to the enormous gap created by the forwards, that opposition defenders can easily intercept the futile effort.

Are the Sens improving? Absolutely.

Are they improving fast enough to remain postseason contenders?  Tick, tock.

GN