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Nice to See:
The Ottawa Senators Competitive
By: Michael A. Chase Jr.
11/26/2019
Many experts going into the NHL season had the Ottawa Senators once again finishing at the bottom of the NHL standings. After a 2018-2019 year that saw the franchise go 29-47-6 and failing to qualify for the playoffs for the third time in the last 5 years the team was in a full rebuild. The Senators so far early this season are surprising a lot of people with their quality play. As Ottawa owns an 11-12-1 record and is just 5 points out of a playoff spot. Now understandably it is only 24 games into the season, and they are just below .500, but the early returns are promising. For a team that was expected to be overmatched on the ice for a 3rd straight year, they are holding their own and playing well. Doing this with some heavily improved defensive play and standout starts from a few players.
Photo by senschirp.ca.
A new defensive structure has allowed the Senators to improve significantly this year. This season the defensive improvement has been apparent for Ottawa as the numbers show. The Senators currently rank 12th in goals against per game at 2.79, which puts them in the top half of the league. Compare this to the 3.46 goals against they finished the 2018-2019 season with, and they have made a 0.67 improvement. Meaning they are allowing more than half a goal less than they did last year. The defensive strides the Senators have made this year under rookie coach D.J. Smith has allowed them to hang in a lot of games. As this structure has helped this young team become more sound in all three zones because of their commitment to the system. Their defensive growth has also improved their penalty kill this season. Their PK is operating at 83.1% which puts them at 12th in the league in this statistic. Again, giving them a top half of the league PK, elevating from the 79.2%they finished last season with. Meaning their PK improved by 3.9% from last year which is a significant jump. If the Senators continue to further improve defensively as the season continues, they will be able to hang around in the standings.
The other major reason for Ottawa’s steady play to start the year is the play of a few standout performers in the Senators lineup. The trio of players that fall into this category are forwards Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Anthony Duclair, along with goaltender Anders Nilsson. These three players have all provided production most could not have predicted. Production that has been very much welcomed and relied upon by Ottawa.
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Center Jean-Gabriel Pageau is off to the hottest start of his career and a major offensive leader for Ottawa. On the season Pageau has posted 13 goals and 6 assists for 19 points in 24 games, leading the Sens in all categories. While also owning one of the top plus/minuses in the NHL at +17 so far this season. Pageau is having a great bounce back year so far, especially after playing just 39 games and putting up 4 goals and 12 points. The versatility he provides Ottawa, allows him to play in all situations on the ice at a high level. He has become a leader for the Senators and will continue to be key for the Sens to continue their early improvement. If Pageau can be the catalyst for the Sens offense and possibly reach the 25-30 goal plateau this will be a major benchmark for him this year. With Pageau in his age 27 season can solidify his place in the Senators future with a strong season. Providing the Senators with a nice piece to build with going forward.
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For winger Anthony Duclair this 24-year-old forward is also having a bounce back year in his first full year with Ottawa. He currently is second on the Sens in goals and points, posting 10 goals and 5 assists for 15 points in 24 games this season. Duclair this year is getting a chance to get top minutes and is taking advantage of it. He is on his way to at least matching his best year, which was his 20 goal, 44-point season in 2015-2016. Couple his very good and accurate shot, along with slick hands and he is a good offensive threat. Duclair looks far more confident and his game is growing in all phases of the game which is huge for his development. As he continues to better himself defensively, while producing more offense for this Sens team he will like Pageua become an asset the Senators may consider keeping long term.
The final player that has been key in Ottawa’s start is goaltender Anders Nilsson. Nilsson this season has split time with longtime starter Craig Anderson. The numbers favor Nilsson in net as he has posted 2.63 goals against average and .928 save percentage. While owning a solid 7-4-1 record for the Senators compared to the 4-8 record for Craig Anderson. Nilsson while Anderson has had some struggles has provided solid play in net to stabilize the situation. Having one of the best years of his career so far, which comes at a great time for Ottawa. At 29-years-old Nilsson is playing at a high level and could very well be laying claim to be the clear-cut starter if this stretch of strong play continues. If he continues to play this well along with the Sens defensive structure this team will be in every game throughout the year.
Photo by theglobeandmail.com.
The Ottawa Senators have played well above what many projected them to be. They have hung in with good teams and defended at strong level. While getting production from various sources across their lineup to supplement their offense. There is no guaranteeing the Senators will make the playoffs, or even finish with a winning record. The team though has clearly improved and is buying into the system which is always important. It is just good to see a franchise that has had some serious lows the last few years have some on ice success. Now fans and observers alike can only hope it continues.