Yahoo Sports One-On-One: Ottawa Senators Defenceman Artem Zub Ready For His First Home Game Since November
It has been 27 days since the Senators last played a game at the Canadian Tire Centre.
For Artem Zub, the wait has been longer.
It has been 48 days since Senators fans were able to chant "Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuub."
An essential cog on the Senators blue line has not played at home since he sustained a fractured foot during the team's 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on November 23rd.
It has been a frustrating season for the Russian defenceman. Zub suffered a concussion as the recipient of a violent hit by the Los Angeles Kings' Tanner Jeannot in the Senators' third game of the season. These two injuries -- the concussion and fractured foot -- have limited Zub to 14 games played this season.
Despite the proverbial and literal bad breaks, Zub has maintained a positive outlook despite the challenges.
"No, it is what it is," Zub said while explaining how being frustrated has no benefit. "Through everything that happened before, we start (fresh) and start playing (to get back into a groove)."
Still, Zub admitted it was difficult to watch his teammates play meaningful hockey without him in the lineup.
"It's always a tough time," Zub described. "Sometimes bad luck happens. You have to push through, stay positive and keep going."
Zub's concussion forced the defenceman to miss nine games, while the foot fracture kept him out for 16 games. Being shelved for that long would take a toll on anyone's physical and mental health, but Zub worked hard off the ice to prepare for his return.
"I just tried to work (and on) my mental (health), too, because it's tough to miss a long time. I just worked on my mental (strength). I was always in the gym every day and getting treatments, too."
In his return to the lineup, Zub played 13 minutes and 30 seconds in Dallas. He spent 11 minutes and nine seconds of those minutes playing on the team's third pairing with Tyler Kleven according to NaturalStatTrick's game log. While that pair was on the ice at five-on-five, neither team recorded a goal, but the Senators generated eight shots to the Stars' 12 (40.0 CF%) and had one shot on goal to their three (25.0 SF%).
The following game in St. Louis, Zub was elevated to a pairing with his regular partner, Jake Sanderson. Sanderson's struggles this season without Zub have been well-documented, so seeing the two reunited so early into Zub's return was encouraging.
The returns in the first game were relatively modest. In their 13 minutes and 34 seconds of ice time together against the Blues, the Senators allowed one goal while producing 52.17 percent of the shots (CF%), 40.00 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), and 59.03 percent of the expected goals (xGF%).
Zub admitted that his first two games back were not easy but acknowledged that he has felt more comfortable with each passing game. The numbers certainly reflect that.
His 21 minutes and 50 seconds of ice time represented a season-high. The team's underlying metrics with him and Sanderson on the ice were exemplary, too. In the 16 minutes and 27 seconds that the pairing played, the Senators owned a significant percentage of the shot and goal shares. They outshot the Red Wings 27-10 (72.97 CF%) with 15 of those shots landing on goal to the Red Wings' three (83.33 SF%). Although no goals were scored, based on the Senators' quality of chances with Sanderson and Zub on the ice, the team's expected goal percentage was 75.10.
It would be foolish to expect that level of performance to continue throughout the second half of the season, but it is reasonable to assume that the Senators will often outshoot and outchance the opposition while Sanderson and Zub are on the ice. In consideration of how strong the play of Thomas Chabot and Nick Jensen has been, if Zub can solidify the top four and give head coach Travis Green two pairings that can move the puck and tilt the ice in the Senators' favour, the Senators will put themselves in a great spot down the stretch.
The opportunity to play meaningful down the stretch is not lost on Zub.
"It's very exciting. We tried to make the playoffs in the five years since I have been here. Every season we try, but right now, we're a really competitive team. Everyone's feeling we can do it. We try to (work hard) every day. We believe in each other."
This story comes from The Hockey News Ottawa website. For more Senators coverage all season long, check out THN Ottawa. Recommended articles include:
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