What’s going on with the Ottawa Senators?
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The Ottawa Senators have been in a seven-year playoff drought leading them to be one of the most looked down upon teams in the National Hockey League (NHL); this season, however, could be the one that changes that storyline. The Senators have started the 2024-25 season with a 6-5-0 record and a hopeful outlook on this season.
Ottawa hired Travis Green as their new head coach in May of 2024, and in his tenure, he has proven to put the Senators in a new direction. One of the major changes he has made in Ottawa is mentality rather than structure. He said, “For me, if you play good, you play,” said Green. “Coaches want to get the guys on the ice that are playing pretty good. The ones that aren’t, not quite as much”. This type of mental change has charged the players towards a new era, pushing them from fifth to last in goals allowed last season to ninth place in the league this season for the same statistic. The defensive changes have pushed talented players like left winger and captain Brady Tkachuk to clear more pucks and generate better scoring chances for the team.
On the offensive side, the duo Tkachuk and center Tim Stützle combined for 31 points in 11 games. Trio, right-wing Adam Gaudette tallies six goals, forward Zack MacEwen scores three points, and center Nick Cousins on the fourth line, have outshot opponents 46-36, with 15 of Ottawa’s total goals. Another big improvement for the Senators has been in their power-play capabilities; they scored 12 goals in 36 power-play opportunities. The reshaping of the power-play unit has boosted the Senators from twenty-third in the league to third.
One of the biggest offseason moves for the Senators was acquiring goalkeeper Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins. Ullmark was electric in Boston, and since his return from injury, Ullmark has saved 44 of his last 47 shots, with a 2.63 goals-against average (GAA) and a .902 save percentage. On the other side of the tandem, goalkeeper Anton Forsberg had a rocky start to the season but has since turned this around with two shutouts, a 2.65 GAA, and a .910 save percentage. Through their first 11 games, the Senators save percentage ranks thirteenth in the league, and while their goalkeepers are not necessarily stealing games, they have remained consistent enough to give the team a chance at winning.
In the last two seasons, the Senators were 45-32-3 at home and 32-44-3 on the road, which is by far one of the biggest problems Ottawa has had to work on this season. Their home record sets them at a 93-point pace, which would be enough to boost them to a playoff spot. On the road, however, they have a 65-point pace—which is not even close to qualifying for the playoffs. So, if the Senators are serious about making the playoffs for the first time in seven years, they need to get their act together on the road.
The Senators are positioning themselves as legitimate playoff contenders with a revitalized roster, a new mental approach under Coach Travis Green, and an improved power-play and defensive structure. For the rest of the season, consistency and discipline on the road will be crucial, hopefully, becoming vital keys to securing a postseason berth. For Ottawa fans, this season might finally be the one to remember—a turning point for a franchise eager to rewrite its legacy.