It was more of the same for the Ottawa Senators as they headed West to face the Colorado Avalanche. Inability to cash in on chances, a lack of finish and added on last night was mediocre goaltending. The final result is a not so surprising 5-2 Avs win.
I said heading into this 4 game road trip that the Senators needed 7 of not 8 of the 8 points available to them because a) The gap between them and the final playoff spot was growing and b) it was 4 winnable games against teams not currently in a playoff spot, or really within striking distance themselves.
Well, half way through the trip and the most they can come away with is 5, so I will not refer to the Senators and playoff race in the same sentence until such time as they get back within 5 points or next October, which ever comes first.
Not to say that the game was a complete disaster, because Ottawa did hold Colorado to just 21 shots and less than 30 attempts in the game, but on a night that Craig Anderson didn't have his A game, that didn't really matter. Anderson allowed 3 goals on 9 shots, and although Jamie McLeannan (a former NHL goalie for what it's worth) made a point during the broadcast to say Anderson wasn't to blame and it was a mercy pull, the fact is the first 2 goals against were imminently stoppable just by making himself big and letting the puck hit him. There may have been partial screen, but the pucks didn't find the corners, they essentially went through him. And the frustration shown after the game by blaming his defensemen is not good optically, although you probably give him a pass on it because his back must be sore from carrying the team all season so far.
Because, even with a standout effort from Anderson, I am not sure the Senators could have gave him the win regardless. I am sick of hearing that the Sens run into hot goalies as the reason they can't score or win. I was taken to task by some readers following the last game where I said Steve Mason was good but not overly challenged despite the number of shots the Senators had and it was quantity over quality.
Well, it happened again last night, and it seems the only time the Senators can score is when the net is relatively empty due to a perfect set-up (Mark Stone's goal) or a surprising turnover (Bobby Ryan's marker). If the goalie is ready for the shot, in most cases the Senators aren't making it tough on him to make a save. The Senators had chances, but their lack of finish cost them again.
Add to that the fact that within a minute of each Ottawa goal where you would hope they gained a bit of momentum, Colorado answered right back to put their foot back on the throat of the Senators.
The curious decision to not play Curtis Lazar is confusing. Here you have a kid who is on a high after just winning the Gold Medal as the Captain of Team Canada, and you make him sit in the press box and watch? Dave Cameron stated Wednesday that there was a 90% chance Lazar would play, but then used the lack of a full practice as the reason why he didn't play. Yet he knew the Senators weren't going to practice heading into the game. Practice or no practice, I am not sure of the message it sends, and some of the wind might just come out of the sails of Lazar, because one of the reasons he was uncertain about wanting to go to the World Juniors was because he didn't want to lose his spot in the lineup. I understand not playing in Philly the day following the Gold Medal game, but three days later seemed like a good time to get his legs back into the lineup and not lose momentum for the individual. I like a lot of the things Cameron has done since taking over, but this decision is not one of them.
(EDIT: The more I think about it, I wonder if it is in the back of the Senators' minds that they might want to return Lazar to Edmonton for a playoff run in the WHL. If he plays 40 games (he is at 27 now) this season will count towards a year of service and put him a year closer to unrestricted free agency. The Senators could play him sparingly over the next month or so and then when it comes to trade deadline time when the team could be torn apart, send him back to avoid him having to go through that last couple of months of what could be a really bad environment. That is the option they have and I wonder if that is in the back of the minds of management and why he didn't play in Colorado. I don't think that is the plan, and I am not sure it would be the best for Lazar, but it is an option the team does have.)
On a night where the Senators don't get above average or even spectacular goaltending, their holes are magnified, and that was the case against Colorado. The two teams are in very similar situations in the standings, but if I were the Avs I would be a lot more optimistic, even in the Western Conference. As for the Senators, whether the Todd Bertuzzi rumors are true or if they are indeed chasing a big name forward, it is not going to be enough to patch the holes and it might be better to stay the course, move a couple of veterans at the deadline, and reset the rebuild. A rebuild, by the way, that was supposed to be done by now but has been pushed back following a couple of major defections.
The Senators reached the 40 game mark in Colorado, but I will delay my segment report until after the Arizona game, where they will reach the halfway point of their season.