How is Zaitsev -2 in the game if he's only been on the ice for 1 goal from what you say? Not watching the game (watching the Wings game) but it seems you have mixed up someone else for Zaitsev.
- dcz28

Zaitsev had nothing to do with the second goal. That was all Hamonic. Now on the fifth one Brannstrom makes a great pass right to Studnicka.

It would help if Talbot would make a save.

I went by the stats on the Score website.

Why is Brannstrom now out with Chabbot. Such a brutal giveaway.
- Octavarium

Both TSN and NHL.com have Zaitsev at -2 so he had to be on the ice for 2 goals at least.

OTT officially eliminated from playoff contention

Such bad puck luck and a hot goalie beats the Sens again.

Well at least Talbot didn't let every shot get past him.

JBD had a solid game. Why they stuck Brannstrom out there with Chabot beats me.

Dj needs to go at this point.

Can’t make all these moves and still be this bad.

OTT officially eliminated from playoff contention
- Mithos

Still a lot of hockey, but losing to the Canucks? Needs to be a shakeup.

I thought they played a really good game but the puck just refused to bounce for them and the Canucks goalie made some great saves. The shot totals were ridiculously lopsided after two periods and Vancouver had no business winning this game.

JBD looked good and that was DeBrincat's best game this year by far. Seemed to have good chemistry with Batherson who also had a strong game. The third and fourth lines were pretty good and Giroux seemed to work with Stutzle and Tkachuk.

Just really really really bad puck luck.

On the negative side it seemed every mistake the Sens D made, and there were a few weak plays by Hamonic and Brannstrom in particular, the puck was in the net. That's the Talbot I remember from Edmonton.

Guys like Hamonic and Brannstrom do not belong any higher in the lineup than third pairing. JBD was fine with Chabot and when Zub gets back pair him with Sanderson and get Hamonic out of there. That would make a good top 4.

If they keep playing this way they will win a lot of games but not with Talbot in net.

This team is so bad. Lets look at the bottom teams in the league.

Bottom 6 teams -

Pitt has lost 7 in a row.
Anaheim -22 goal differential - 3-6-1 in last 10
SJ lost 4 in a row.
Ottawa lost 6 in a row.
St. Louis lost 8 in a row.
Columbus lost 5 in a row.

Sens fans, hope you are ready for a top 5 pick.

Dj needs to go at this point.

Can’t make all these moves and still be this bad.
- Trilla

It boils down to schemes, how the team plays their systems.

During the 6 game losing streak they've lost -

4-2, 5-3, 4-3, 5-4, 2-1, 6-4 so that tells me this team can score but cant keep the puck out of their net.

OTT officially eliminated from playoff contention
- Mithos

It will never matter who is playing for Ottawa as long as you have that foolish DJ Smith coaching this team. Just look at the players faces during stoppage in play. They don’t believe in him as a leader. Watching this team as an outsider, it’s clear he has no systems in place to use the players talents to his advantage. Ottawa deserves better after all they added in the off season. But when you clearly have no leader behind the bench and Claude Giroux does more coaching than your head coach, it’s time to cut the cord.

This team is so bad. Lets look at the bottom teams in the league.

Bottom 6 teams -

Pitt has lost 7 in a row.
Anaheim -22 goal differential - 3-6-1 in last 10
SJ lost 4 in a row.
Ottawa lost 6 in a row.
St. Louis lost 8 in a row.
Columbus lost 5 in a row.

Sens fans, hope you are ready for a top 5 pick.
- LawyerSens4Life

Well if your going top 5 lottery this would be a great year to win it all.

It boils down to schemes, how the team plays their systems.

During the 6 game losing streak they've lost -

4-2, 5-3, 4-3, 5-4, 2-1, 6-4 so that tells me this team can score but cant keep the puck out of their net.
- LawyerSens4Life

Is that a coaching problem or a defense talent problem?
I think it's the latter from what I have seen.

I need to watch some of the highlights again, but that 5th goal was incredibly deflating. So many things went wrong in a handful of seconds.

I don’t know why DJ is constantly shifting around pairings but at the same time, the players need to have some accountability on the backend. It’s a disaster right now and neither DJ or the players seem to be fixing it. You know it’s bad when you are relying on an AHL callup to solidify things. This team was supposed to be past that point.

It would be nice to see some more puck luck, but it would just fog the mess that is the defence in terms of coaching personnel and players. Time to make some kind of move.

Is that a coaching problem or a defense talent problem?
I think it's the latter from what I have seen.
- Rang

Coaching is the problem. DJ Smith thinks Zaitsev is an elite defenceman. Obviously Smith does not know what a good defence looks like.

Well if your going top 5 lottery this would be a great year to win it all.
- spatso

Hard to believe just a month ago people were clamoring for Dorion to trade our first round pick for Chychrun. I wouldn't trade it one for one now.

Any time a mistake is made, there is no support for each other. Meaning no structure as they don't operate in groups of 3, a forward supporting down low with the defense pairing. Sure mistakes happen by players, but there is no continuity or structure to offset the mistakes. If the players arent given proper coaching, how can they execute or even progress as players if they receive zero coaching? Over three seasons of the same crap, the same dog and pony show. Enough already. Move on from DJ. The longer Dorion allows this misfit to coach, then his job should be jeopardy for even allowing it continue.

Hard to believe just a month ago people were clamoring for Dorion to trade our first round pick for Chychrun. I wouldn't trade it one for one now.
- Bartacus

I wasn't.

No Zub for the road trip. Maybe DJ can play Chabot another 29 minutes again and wonder why he mental mistakes late in the game when we can all see how fatigued he is. Spread the damn minutes out. This coach clearly doesn't get it.

Any time a mistake is made, there is no support for each other. Meaning no structure as they don't operate in groups of 3, a forward supporting down low with the defense pairing. Sure mistakes happen by players, but there is no continuity or structure to offset the mistakes. If the players arent given proper coaching, how can they execute or even progress as players if they receive zero coaching? Over three seasons of the same crap, the same dog and pony show. Enough already. Move on from DJ. The longer Dorion allows this misfit to coach, then his job should be jeopardy for even allowing it continue.
- LawyerSens4Life

Everybody makes mistakes. The best players in the league often make the worst mistakes because they take the biggest chances. You are very right. When the Sens D make a mistake, even a small one, it always translates into a grade A+++ chance for a wide open opposing player right in the slot or near slot. How come that so rarely happens when the other guys make a mistake? The same is true of so many other facets of the game. How can anyone not think it is a coaching issue?

No Zub for the road trip. Maybe DJ can play Chabot another 29 minutes again and wonder why he mental mistakes late in the game when we can all see how fatigued he is. Spread the damn minutes out. This coach clearly doesn't get it.
- LawyerSens4Life

This consistent overplaying of Chabot in particular is a very tired true tactic this coach continually employs that gets routinely criticized by everyone with a brain. It only serves to amplify how imperfect a player Chabot himself is. Chabot is not panacea to all our problems on the blue line, but this coach seems to think it's in both the team's best interest and the best move for his job security to run the kid out for 30+ minutes a night. He's the most played player in the league for each season DJ has been behind the bench, and the results are plain as day.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein

For the record, Chabot's best season statwise, 55pts, happened in 2018-2019 before DJ. That was the last year he wasn't the most overplayed player in the league - he was 15th averaging 24:30. Since DJ, Chabot's average time on ice has increased by 1:30-2 minutes per game and he has consistently been either #1 or #2 for TOI alongside Doughty and Jones, both of whose coaches were routinely criticized in their own right for overplaying them, and both whose games, like Chabot's, noticeably deteriorated with the extra playing time burden. It's like these coaches don't know how to read, or count, or use simple deductive reasoning. For guys so obsessed with on ice 'trust', you'd think they'd want the same for themselves from the fans.

Zaitsev and Hellberg put on waivers.

Zaitsev ain't going anywhere but message to players, DJ?

Zaitsev and Hellberg put on waivers.

Zaitsev ain't going anywhere but message to players, DJ?
- GrimmdaGoalie

Putting Helberg on waivers was a mistake that will become very apparent once the fans become more familiar with Talbot.

Putting Helberg on waivers was a mistake that will become very apparent once the fans become more familiar with Talbot.
- Whatisavailable

Can’t do much when you got 3 goalies. Obviously there were no takers on Hellberg so it is what it is.

No Zub for the road trip. Maybe DJ can play Chabot another 29 minutes again and wonder why he mental mistakes late in the game when we can all see how fatigued he is. Spread the damn minutes out. This coach clearly doesn't get it.
- LawyerSens4Life

He doesn't have other experienced NHL defensemen to give the minutes to.