Here’s a certainty in rabid fandom – your team drops a couple of games in a row, and you’ll be eyeing a plunge into the deep end even though you can’t swim.
It’s all over!
(Before we go any further you should know that we don’t have that issue as New York Giant fanatics; we just consistently suck, period. It’s kind of comforting, actually).
Anyway, it’s a given that over-reaction comes with the territory, and Ottawa Senators fans are quick to flock towards that particular parcel of land consistently.
Can’t blame them, really. The club has been disappointing for much of the 2025-26 season.
The tease for better-days-ahead is also consistent. The Senators are like the addict vowing to go straight and nailing it down for a week or two before struggling and stumbling once more. Ottawa gives you a taste of the ‘pretty good’ before relenting to the heat and becoming ‘pretty bad.’
That’s been the reality through the first 38 games of the schedule. As well, the team will be glad to see December move on. Ottawa’s mark for the month is 6-7.
For stretches they look terrific, both on the eyes and in the numbers. From Dec. 15th to the 21st, Travis Green’s troops won four straight (Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Boston) and out-scored their opponents 19-8. Surprisingly, this was accomplished without Shane Pinto or Thomas Chabot in the lineup (both injured; both have since returned).
Tim Stutzle – far and away Ottawa’s top performer this year – has carried this team. He leads in points (41), goals (19), time-on-ice and shots. Critics condemning the 23-year-old for not shooting more (a common complaint) have been silenced. The No. 3 selection in the 2020 NHL entry draft has arrived. Stutzle’s cap hit of $8.35 million US is veritable chump change in this day and age.
But beyond young Tim, there are clearly issues. These are issues that sometime leave the Ottawa fan base wondering if this ‘core’ is going to be good enough (welcome to Toronto, folks!) to take the next step.
The local chat boards are rife with that chatter.
And it’s growing.
Especially following what-followed the four-game win string: Three enormous regulation-time losses to divisional rivals Buffalo, Toronto and the latest – Columbus.
“I don’t say that very often, but that was probably one of our worst games of the year,” said Green after the 4-1 loss. “We’ve played well. We haven’t had a stinker for a while. I can’t explain it. We were a half step behind everywhere, the passing wasn’t very good, and usually, when you’re not skating well, you’re going to be late to a lot of places.”
The tumble versus the Blue Jackets was especially inexcusable. Columbus was missing its top defenceman (and Norris candidate) Zach Werenski, played the night before, and suffered through flight delays before landing in Ottawa late Monday afternoon. They also rolled in as the bottom-dwellers in the Eastern Conference.
Ottawa didn’t play especially poorly but another area of concern did rear up once again.
Goaltending.
With No. 1 Linus Ullmark away for an indeterminate period of time on a leave of absence, the reins were tossed into the hands of the relatively unproven Leevi Merilainen (24 career NHL games played). He was shaky on at least two of the Columbus goals and appeared flustered/frustrated on a couple of occasions.
The Senators do not have the luxury of sitting back and seeing if this all fixes itself. Currently, they are out of the playoff picture – three points back of the surging Florida Panthers – with five teams stacked in the waiting pool ahead of them. That includes the Buffalo Sabres who seemingly have sipped from Jarmo Kekäläinen’s magical and mystical jar of good fortune and have won nine(!) straight.
This puts GM Steve Staios in a bit of a pickle, because, quite frankly, there’s not much out there in the quality netminding market.
The next order of business comes on New Year’s Day when the Washington Capitals visit. The Caps rank 11th in goals-per game and feature (in case you hadn’t heard) the NHL’s all-time goals leader.
The best advice is for the Senators to maintain what’s been a very good defensive front. They’re a Top-5 club in shots allowed, and the hope is Merilainen finds some magic or at the very least, plays capably.
Given how tight the standings remain and the number of teams ahead of them in the East, Ottawa can ill afford a run of losses once the calendar flips over. If it goes south, the prattle and blather as to whether this is the right collection to take a jump continues, ad nauseum.
OTTAWA SENATORS WEEK AHEAD:
Thursday, Jan. 1: Washington at Ottawa (1 pm)
Saturday, Jan. 3: Winnipeg at Ottawa (7 pm)
Monday, Jan. 5: Detroit at Ottawa (7:30 pm)
Wednesday, Jan. 7: Ottawa at Utah (9:30 pm)
thegrossgame@yahoo.com
