The Ottawa Senators are in a tough spot - and there’s no sugarcoating it. After dropping back-to-back overtime heartbreakers, frustrations are boiling over, and no corner of the organization is immune. From ownership to the front office, from the bench to the ice, everyone’s under the microscope right now.
Let’s start with the facts: the Senators have now lost consecutive games in overtime, blowing multi-goal leads in both. That’s a first in franchise history - and not the kind of record you want to be setting. Saturday’s 6-5 loss to the Canadiens and Sunday’s 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Red Wings weren’t just painful - they were emblematic of a team that can’t seem to close the deal.
Sure, if you’re looking for a silver lining, you could say Ottawa has picked up points in four straight games. But let’s be real - moral victories don’t get you into the playoffs.
Not in this league. Not when you’re already chasing the pack.
The Senators need wins, not consolation prizes.
And the frustration? It’s not just coming from the fans. Inside the locker room, the tension is real.
Jake Sanderson didn’t mince words after Saturday’s loss, when Leevi Merilainen gave up six goals on 19 shots. “You’ve got to make more than 10 saves to win a game,” Sanderson said.
It was raw. Honest.
And, frankly, hard to argue with. The Senators currently own the worst save percentage in the NHL at .866 through 48 games.
That’s not just a red flag - it’s a five-alarm fire.
Goaltending has been the Achilles' heel of this team all season. And when your netminders are struggling, everything else gets magnified.
The penalty kill is another glaring issue. Ottawa ranks second-last in the league in that department, surrendering two more power-play goals against Detroit.
That brings the season total to 41. And as more than one coach will tell you: your best penalty killer is your goalie.
When that part of the game breaks down, the whole defensive structure starts to wobble.
Sunday’s loss stung for another reason, too. The Senators were playing their second game in 22 hours, but they came out strong, jumping to a 2-0 lead.
It looked like the kind of bounce-back performance they needed. Instead, they let it slip away again - and the dagger came from a familiar face.
Former Senator Alex DeBrincat scored the overtime winner for the Red Wings, spoiling James Reimer’s debut in net.
And then there’s the off-ice atmosphere, which isn’t doing the team any favors either.
Saturday was supposed to be a celebration - the 30th anniversary of the Canadian Tire Centre, a marquee matchup on Hockey Day in Canada. But when the Senators hit the ice, they were greeted by a chorus of boos.
Why? Because roughly 80% of the sellout crowd of 18,020 were Canadiens fans.
It felt more like a road game than a homecoming.
“We’re used to it, playing an away game at home,” Sanderson said. “It happens quite often.
It is what it is.” That’s a tough reality for any team to accept - especially one trying to build a winning culture.
Part of the issue? Premium pricing.
Season-ticket holders voiced their displeasure on social media, with some saying they sold off their seats or opted not to attend. One longtime fan shared that her usual $80 seats were marked up to $452 apiece for the Canadiens game.
That kind of sticker shock might help the bottom line in the short term, but it’s a hard sell when the product on the ice isn’t delivering.
And that’s the core of the problem. The only real way to fill seats and restore belief in the fan base is to win hockey games. That’s the currency that matters most.
Right now, the Senators are falling short - and the pressure is mounting. Owner Michael Andlauer, president Cyril Leeder, GM Steve Staios, head coach Travis Green, and the players - no one is getting a pass.
Nor should they. This is what accountability looks like in a passionate hockey market.
There’s still time to turn things around, but the margin for error is shrinking fast. The Senators need more than just effort.
They need execution. They need goaltending.
And above all, they need wins.
Because in this league, you don’t get style points for almost.