Ottawa Senators Continue to Struggle
Accounting for a Disappointing Season
After a strong start last season, the Senators were considered one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Since this time however, the team has been mired in a terrible slump. They have just 25 wins over 75 games during this span. This includes a four game sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. They rank thirteenth in the Eastern Conference this season; behind the likes of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In a recent interview, team owner Eugene Melnyk stated, "This is not an organization that's completely crippled. It needs fine-tuning, it needs some tweaking, it needs a player here, a player there, a few good bounces and that's it." As the team continues to play poorly, speculation surrounding the futures of head coach Craig Hartsburg and general manager Bryan Murray has intensified.
Having made the playoffs in eleven straight seasons, it is surprising to see Ottawa near the bottom of the standings. They need to rekindle the chemistry that made them Eastern Conference champions just two years ago. While attempting to account for the Senators poor play, several key issues must be considered. They have been extremely inconsistent in several areas.
Decreased Production from Top Line
The Senators top line of Daniel Afredsson, Jason Spezza, and Dany Heatley has been disappointing at times this season. Coach Hartsburg relies heavily on this talented trio to provide scoring. He has called out his stars on several occasions this year.
Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley are all on pace to have their least productive season in recent memory. They have a combined plus-minus rating of -17 this season; while none of them are on a point-per-game pace. Going forward, it is clear that Ottawa needs more production from their first line.
Lack of Scoring Depth
The Senators have struggled to score throughout their line up. Their top forward line has scored nearly half of their goals this season. This lack of scoring depth has been extremely troubling. Chris Kelly, Nick Foligno and Alexandre Picard are tied for fourth on the team with just six goals apiece. Throughout the first half of the season, players such as Mike Fisher and Antoine Vermette have failed to provide consistent secondary scoring.
In addition, the loss of Wade Redden, Andrej Meszaros and Joe Corvo since last season has left a void at the blue-line. This lack of depth has contributed to a league worst total in goals scored; five goals shy of the New York Islanders. If the Senators hope to turn their season around, they need to find ways to get more production from their entire lineup.
Poor Goaltending
Given their lack of scoring, goaltending has become an area of concern. The Senators goaltending has also been inconsistent this season. Martin Gerber and Alex Auld have both struggled at times. They have combined to post a goals-against-average of 2.74 on a team that averages just 2.44 goals-per-game. Gerber was recently assigned to Binghamton of the AHL. In fourteen games this season, his save-percentage is below .900.
Just prior to the all-star break, Ottawa called up AHL goaltender Brian Elliott. After several strong performances with Binghamton, he has been given the opportunity to win the starting job. A ninth round selection in 2003, he looks to have success at the next level. It is clear that Ottawa needs more saves and more consistency from their goaltenders.
All statistics were obtained from the official website of the National Hockey League <http://www.nhl.com/>.
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