Yahoo Sports Ottawa Senators Give Fans The Gift Of Optimism (And More) This Holiday Season
By nearly every important metric, it's a happy holiday season for Ottawa Senators fans.
Goal horns ring,
Are you listening?
In the slot,
Tkachuk is planting.
A beautiful sight,
They're happy tonight,
Standing in a Wild Card Wonderland.
Forgive my ill-advised foray into Sens-related songwriting, but you’ll understand if Sens fans are adding a little song and dance to their holiday plans this year.
After weathering the storm in their usual naughty November, complete with a disheartening five-game losing streak, the Senators have become the storm, rolling through a nice December with an 8-2-1 record (including a six-game winning streak) before the holiday break.
In the past, Santa has given the Senators so many lumps of coal they could have heated up the water in the faucets at Canadian Tire Centre with it. But it sure looks like he came through this year.
With the Sens putting some distance between themselves and other teams chasing the final wild card spot, it sure seems like the proverbial corner has been turned. Of course, team history being what it is, if the Sens stop being good, there’s still loads of runway for Santa to back up his sleigh and throw everything back in his bag.
So what are some of the gifts Sens fans have been able to unwrap this year?
Playoffs? Playoffs???
Not only are the Senators holding down the final wild card, they’ve given themselves some room for error. The team has three- and four-point cushions, respectively, on the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. They also have a very satisfying seven-point lead on the Montreal Canadiens.
The distance between Ottawa and the free-falling Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres sits at eight and 12 points, respectively. It's certainly not a big enough cushion to invite complacency, but it's enough security to start looking up at the standings and the possibilities.
Both the Tampa Bay Lightning (tied with Ottawa, with three games in hand) and the Boston Bruins (two points up) are within reach, despite both teams winning seven of their last ten games. Boston is somehow winning despite a minus-17 goal differential. The Sens are a plus-seven.
In previous years, a loss like the one to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night would have sent fans to their abacus to come up with scenarios of “If we can win this many, and the team we’re chasing loses this many, then we can still be in it.”
For Sens fans, it's refreshing to watch their team lose a close game and simply shrug it off with, "Oh well, you can't win them all," while still seeing the team in a strong position in the standings.
Goaltending
The catalyst for this success, above all else, has been stellar goaltending from Linus Ullmark. The Sens have been pining for a goalie like this since the heyday of Craig Anderson.
As a result, they're playing with a confidence not seen in years.
They're no longer forcing the play when they're down a goal; they've mostly stopped cheating for offense by leaving the defensive zone early; and winning possession after a shot against is now a likelihood instead of a hope.
Sidebar: Since Ullmark didn’t give up the winning goal in the 3-1 loss in Edmonton, his personal seven-game winning streak remains intact. He left the game after the first period, but it sounds like it was merely a precaution due to a stiff back.
A Toast to Good Health
On that topic, with only a few exceptions, the Senators have also been given the gift of good health this season. It's no coincidence that, as the Senators bolstered their medical, mental health, and strength-and-conditioning staffs, they’ve seen more stability in the health of their players. These investments have had a tangible effect on chemistry, familiarity, and overall team play.
Good health also goes a long way in allowing head coach Travis Green to assess and deploy players properly so they can thrive in roles they’re best suited for.
Spare Us The Drama
Another welcome gift Sens fans have seen this year is the lack of drama. The closest thing to drama came earlier this month when owner Michael Andlauer made accusations of “soft tampering” after another ridiculous Brady Tkachuk trade rumor.
Compare that to some of the real drama around the league right now:
Buffalo’s 13-game losing streak, which was exacerbated by comments from their owner and general manager.
The Nashville Predators' total implosion in the standings after making big acquisitions.
Detroit’s freefall after expecting a step forward.
Vancouver’s rumors of a rift between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller.
The New York Rangers' players apparently turning on the organization, which aggressively pushed popular players with no-movement clauses out of town.
In the past, under the old guard, the Senators experienced every single one of those types of stories. In the welcome absence of drama, the Sens are just quietly going about the business of executing their vision and process, playing the right way, and winning games.
The unspoken contract between a sports franchise and their paying fans is pretty simple. They’re selling you entertainment or hope.
This year, Sens fans got the gift of both.
From all of us at The Hockey News Ottawa, we wish you a Happy Holidays!
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