The Ottawa Senators continue to go in circles on the ice and in the standings, as they proved again on Tuesday in Nashville, where they have established an unenviable franchise brand.
Beaten 4-1 by the Predators, head coach Jacques Martin's men found a way to achieve what no one had ever achieved in the club's history, not even the mediocre result of the 1992-1993 season: playing an entire season without playing a single one To fire a shot at the target. In addition, the third period was particularly difficult as the “Preds” tested goalkeeper Joonas Korpisalo 20 times, putting the game out of reach for the guests.
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This is a very poor way to keep any hopes of qualifying for the playoffs alive, however slim they may be. With this second failure in just a few days, the “Sens” have found their way back into the basement of the Atlantic Section of the National Hockey League: They are one point behind the Montreal Canadiens, but have two games in front of them.
“There are definitely issues that need to be addressed. It's frustrating and it was the same the day before. I don't know what I can add here,” captain Brady Tkachuk lamented to NHL.com after scoring three points in Washington on Monday.
“We ran out of gas,” Martin admitted to the Ottawa Sun newspaper. The effort was there. We have to play more in the offensive zone. When we lost [Josh] Norris, it affected our attacking combinations. We would have gained momentum in the second period if we had tied the game instead of conceding a third goal.”
Insurmountable task?
Unless there is a spectacular turnaround, Ottawa will have to wait another year before returning to the playoffs, whose last appearance dates back to spring 2017. A 16-point deficit with 25 duels to play is probably too steep a climb to climb. The next few days should be exciting, especially in the organization's offices.
If that encourages the Senators, their next game will be Friday at the Canadian Tire Center against the poor Arizona Coyotes, who have suffered 13 straight losses. Additionally, they risk being without Norris, who was unable to finish Tuesday's game due to an apparent shoulder injury.