Ottawa Senators Burn the Leafs, but Get Too Close to the Fire.

It was a great win.

It was a great win against another weak team.

It was a great win against another weak team—that almost turned into another loss.

As repetitive as that was, so was the Sens' poor play with the lead.

I have harped on this from the start of the season, and like a dog with a bone I'm not going to let it go.

If you play one way and it results in domination and goals for, why would you play differently?

I simply do not get it.

Now, if the Sens played a run-and-gun game, got up then shut it down, then at least it would make sense—if it had to be an either or proposition.

But that's not the case.

The fact is, the Sens gained the lead by making smart plays on the defensive end and working hard in the offensive zone, resulting in offensive opportunities and drawing power plays.

Not run-and-gun, just a good puck-possession/pressure game

Then, instead of keeping up the solid two-way play, the Sens decided once again to try to protect a lead for more than half of the game by playing pure defense.

This doesn't work if you don't have a "shut down" pairing, let alone team.  The Sens are not Boston; if anything they're more like Detroit—a team that must play one system for 60 minutes, come what may.

As Torts says, "Safe Is Death," and this team has to stop trying to "play safe" with the lead.