The Ottawa Senators’ power play keeps giving the wrong team too many chances.
In a span of two games, Ottawa has coughed up three shorthanded goals, and that has pushed the Senators to the top of the league in that category with four through 12 games. Their man advantage has had some structure back with defenceman Jake Sanderson in the lineup, but the results still haven’t followed.
That trend carried into the game against the New York Rangers. Ottawa had already entered the night with a power play clicking at 12.2%, good for 29th in the league.
Then, midway through the second period, Sanderson made a rare miscue while trying to stop Rangers centre Noah Laba on a two-on-one, leaving left-winger Will Cuylle all alone for a breakaway finish. It was the Senators’ fourth shorthanded goal allowed and the play that put them at the top of that unwanted list.
Ottawa also came into the matchup after San Jose Sharks winger Collin Graf and former Senators centre Zack Ostapchuk scored two shorthanded goals past goaltender Samuel Ersson. The Rangers game only reinforced the bigger problem: the Senators are not sustaining pressure when they have the man advantage, and opponents are making them pay for every mistake.
Through two periods against New York, Ottawa was 0-for-3 on the power play. That left them at 6-for-52 on the season, an 11.5% success rate. Dylan Cozens did score his first goal of the season to add to the Senators’ lead, but it came seconds after the power play had ended.
There are clear signs the group still needs cleaner puck movement and better chances when the puck is on their sticks. Before the Rangers game, Ottawa was already tied for fourth in the league with 40 low-danger shot chances on the power play. Sanderson’s return should help steady things on the blue line, but he is only in his third game back after a nagging injury that kept him out since the season opener.
In Other News...
Senators Face A Bigger Test Than Beating The Rangers
A win over the Rangers gave Ottawa a needed lift, and it also offered an early look at how the crease might hold up while the Senators wait for Linus Ullmark to get back. Backup Jonas Johansson stepped into his Senators debut and handled the moment well enough to help push the club to a 7-4 result, the kind of performance that can calm things down for at least one night.
The bigger question now comes on the road trip ahead, where Ullmark is on injured reserve and is expected to miss at least a couple of games. For a team trying to stack points, the challenge is no longer just beating a marquee opponent at home, but finding a way to keep the goaltending steady until the lineup is whole again. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Suddenly Face A Goalie Problem They Didnt Need
Ottawas goaltending picture got a little murkier just as the schedule was setting up to matter, with Linus Ullmark now out of the mix because of a lower-body injury. The Senators will have to lean on Samuel Ersson and Jonas Johansson while he recovers, a less-than-ideal turn for a team that was hoping to keep some continuity in net as it heads into the next stretch.
There is at least one bit of good news on the horizon, with captain Thomas Chabot expected back for the upcoming road trip after missing time with an upper-body injury. Even so, the timing of Ullmarks absence leaves Ottawa facing an uncomfortable balancing act, especially with depth pieces being asked to absorb bigger minutes and every point starting to carry a little more weight. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Exposed A Rangers Problem That Should Worry New York Fans
The Senators wasted no time showing the Rangers a familiar issue they have not solved away from home. Ottawa jumped in front early and kept the pressure on from there, with Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle and others supplying the offense while New York spent much of the night chasing the game. The Rangers did get answers from Will Cuylle, J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafreniere, but the margin never really felt stable once Ottawa had grabbed control.
For New York, the loss fit a troubling road pattern that keeps dragging down an otherwise talented roster. The Rangers are still searching for the kind of consistent structure that travels, and Ottawa exposed how quickly things can tilt when they are forced to play from behind. A home date with the Los Angeles Kings is next, but the bigger concern is whether this group can find a fix before more road losses pile up. [Read more 🡒]