Ottawa Senators Tripping Over the Fine Line Between Victory and Defeat

Tonight will see Ottawa play its third game after posting a win.

We all know how it went in the previous two attempts, but for the sake of torture, here's a review.

After having defeated the Hurricanes, Ottawa next went into Montreal.  After posting a two-goal lead early in the second, the Sens went into their defensive shell, and when the dust settled, lost 4-3.

After their next win of the season, a strong 40 minute performance in Buffalo, the Sens faced, yup, the Canadiens, only this time at home.  In this game, there was no lead to protect.  The only "kitty bar the door" about this game referred to the locker room door, from the media, who no doubt were going to ask some difficult questions about the Sens horrific home ice performance.

Cue the win over a tired, but desperate Phoenix, another up and down game featuring the Sens infamous "defensive shell".

What troubles me thus far in the season is not the record, per se, it's how it has come to be.  Many, including the Sens, have pointed to a lack of consistency. 

I don't get it, if anything, this team has been far too consistent, consistently bad, even when winning.

This isn't to say they haven't had some good shifts, periods, or even two-thirds of games, but what has been present in every game, win, loss or tie, has been a woeful willingness to "back-off" the opposition.  A willingness to either protect leads or, strangely, protect narrow defeats.

This team does not believe it itself.

And tonight represents the next opportunity to challenge the opposition to beat them at their best rather than do their best to not be beaten.

A fine line for sure, but in a competitive league, a line easily crossed, either way.