Two steps forward, one step back. After the emotional win vs. the Capitals that saw the return of Josh Norris, and showing they could play with the playoff-quality Lightning, the only thing the Senators showed yesterday was that there’s still work to be done.
Red Wings 5 vs. Senators 2
The first period was a strong start for OTT, but they failed to translate a 14-3 shot advantage into anything more than a 1-1 draw after 20min. From that point on, DET executed a near-perfect road plan, frustrated OTT, and capitalized repeatedly on their scoring chances. There was also a strong undercurrent of emotional immaturity on the part of the Senators, with bad penalties either leading directly to GA, or disrupting the top-line’s ability to be effective. There were also a few OTT players that just looked out of sorts for most of the game, including Stutzle and Chychrun... who on several occasions either fumbled around with the puck or had key turnovers that led to scoring chances.
It's worth noting that most NHL games would have ended differently with a 37-23 shot differential, but that's more of a cautionary tale for the Red Wings. For the Senators, they need to find a way to ensure that controlling the play for long stretches of time leads more consistently to production on the scoreboard. And their PK needs a lot of work... the Red Wings went 3-for-5 with the man advantage and easily could have scored more. No doubt this will be a point of emphasis as they prepare for a busy 3-game week.
The Senators will continue their first home stand of the season on Tuesday night with a big game vs. the Sabres, who are starting to find their game after a slow start. With their record now at 3-2-0, this will be a critical game for OTT to show they can stay well above .500 during the most favourable part of their schedule, and not lapse into early-season mediocrity.
What did you think of yesterday’s loss vs. the Red Wings? Please leave your thoughts/comments below, and thanks for reading!