I hope you all had a great holiday season and that the only pain endured was that of the Sens' inconsistent play and possibly a New Year Hangover!
As the calendar turns to 2016 it is a time for reflection on the past year and a look forward to the new one, and even making some resolutions that will make the future better than the past, or things you want to work on to better yourself.
Here are a few that I would wish for the Ottawa Senators....
* For Bryan Murray, a final determination on the future of Jared Cowen and Patrick Wiercioch. Neither has really taken strides this year that they needed to take, and on any given night they can be in the bad to dreadful range, and the trickle-down effect is taking its toll on the upper end (namely Erik Karlsson) forcing them to play more than they should have to. If they aren't going to be able to get the job done, it is time to cut bait and move them along, for whatever return you can get.
* For Dave Cameron, figure out the special teams. The penalty kill isn't rocket science, it is simply determination and effort. Implement a simple system and although it is nice to lead the league in short-handed goals, don't push for them like the team seems to do on occasion. If the opportunity presents itself, take it, but putting yourself out of position chasing the shorthanded opportunity is hurting the PK more than it helps on most occasions.
As for the power play, get Mike Hoffman on the first unit. Zack Smith seems to have found a role for some reason, but it hasn't been working with him in the high slot. Hoffman is your leading goal scorer and has probably the best shot on the team. Load up the top unit and take your chances with them. No sense saving Hoffman for the second unit when teams can focus on taking away he and Karlsson up high exclusively because the other three players out there have a combined 10 or 11 goals on the season.
* For Mark Stone, don't let the slumps affect you so much. They happen to the best of players, but every time you miss don't let the emotions show so often when things aren't going your way. Keep an even keel whether they go in or not, and don't worry about the last one, just focus on the next one.
* For Alex Chiasson, just find a way, any way to contribute to the offense. He has the big body, decent enough skater and gets his fair share of opportunities. He should have more than 5 points in almost 40 games. The same could be said about a lot of the bottom 6 forwards (Lazar, Prince et al), but Chaisson in particular has shown an ability to score at certain points in his NHL career, and if anyone can take some of the pressure off the big 6 on some nights, it is Chiasson finding a way to step up and do something. A point every 6 or 7 games isn't going to cut it.
* For Erik Karlsson, please, for the love of all things hockey, just stay healthy. The workload he has had to endure over the last month has been borderline abuse, but he keeps going out there every other shift regardless of partner and has put up a ridiculous scoring pace and playing better than adequate defense. He is the engine that runs the Senators and is well on his way to a 3rd Norris Trophy, provided he stays off the IR. This goes back to the first resolution and finding 6 defensemen the coaching staff can trust in order to take a few minutes of the load off so he doesn't wear down.
* For Patrick Wiercioch, stop taking the path of least resistance, at both ends of the ice. It dawned on me during the last game against New Jersey, that Wiercioch can look good with the puck, but that is because teams give him the room to go. They seemingly know that he will take what is given and nothing more. Wiercioch will take a promising rush and drive it into the corner out of danger because that is what teams give him, and he is not willing (or able) to force it into an area where he needs to bear down and make something happen. He needs to be a lot more assertive.
* For Craig Anderson and Andrew Hammond, stay the course. You have no control over how many shots are directed your way, and regardless of the goals that go in, just focus on stopping the next one. I have been critical of some of the goals that have gone in (especially on Anderson at times) but they have kept their team in games that most teams wouldn't be in and that is all you can ask of your netminders on a nightly basis. There haven't been too many games that have got away early and that is a testament to the goalies keeping them in it.
* For the team as a whole, find a way to come out of the gate with your best performance when the puck drops. Chasing games is never fun, and when you allow the first goal 66% of the time (and the second goal as well far too often) you are chasing the game and that causes extra effort. The Senators actually have a pretty decent record when they allow the first goal, but it happens so often that the constant comeback attempts take their toll. Your goalies are good, but they are not Henrik Lundqvist or Carey Price. You are tempting fate asking them to stop 35 shots each and every night.
* And finally, for Clarke MacArthur, a return to health. The Senators are thin in terms of top 6 forwards, and losing one for as long has they have has certainly hurt their consistency and forced players into roles they either can't fill or aren't ready for. This isn't so much a resolution but a wish, although there doesn't seem to be anything positive on the horizon and this has been an issue that has unfortunately been off the front burner, out of sight out of mind for a while now, which definitely isn't good news.
The Senators were 6 points out of the playoffs when the calendar turned to 2015 last season, and they had a bad January that saw them tumble to as far as 14 points out before they staged the comeback of the ages. Today they are just a point out and well within the range to make some noise.
What will 2016 bring for the Senators? Your guess is as good as mine, but the bottom line is that the team needs a more consistent effort night to night and they will be fine.
What else would you like to see in 2016?