by Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
A lot can change in a year for an NHL team.
Take the Ottawa Senators for example. Last season in December, the Sens’ road trip cost coach DJ Smith his job on December 18th.
But right now, things are looking better for the Senators than they have in a long time, having won three straight games for the first time this season and are in a playoff position.
With the World Juniors in Ottawa this year and the Senators traveling for the next nine games, the players are in control of their own destiny. If they stumble again and fall behind in the Atlantic Division standings, they are more likely to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for an eighth straight year.
Needless to say, there is a lot at stake for Ottawa. But they have a record of 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, and their 5-1-1 record in December is good for 11 points, the most in the NHL so far this month heading into Monday’s games. Their .786 points percentage is sixth best as some teams have a game or two in hand, but their recent track record has looked very promising.
So far, Ottawa has recovered from its worst point total in November when they were 5-8-1. After a weak phase, they get a first-class goalkeeper in Linus Ullmark and get the third star of the week on Monday.
Is this Senators team real? Or are they on the verge of being exposed as a group still unable to overcome the competition? Let’s take a look at what’s in store for them and what their fans can expect.
A clear problem is their subpar road record this season. They are currently just 5-7-1 on the road, and that could be an ominous sign for them. In the meantime, the teams they face on their extended road trip won’t make things any easier for them. In that order, Ottawa will face Seattle, Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton on the road before the holiday break and will face Winnipeg, Minnesota, Dallas, St. Louis and Detroit on the road after play resumes.
None of these nine teams are pushovers. When the Senators return home against Buffalo on January 9th, they could easily go 5-4 or 4-5 or worse. That may not be enough to push them back into the playoffs. This road trip represents a major challenge for the Senators and how they respond will have a significant impact on the rest of the season.
According to PuckPedia, the Senators currently have about $508,000 in salary cap space, so there is no cavalry in sight for Ottawa on the trade front. For better or worse, this group will either sink or swim over the next three weeks.
In their current streak, the Senators have beaten Carolina and Calgary in the top half of the NHL standings and below-average squads including San Jose, Detroit, Nashville, Anaheim and Pittsburgh. The planner has been kind to them lately. But that’s about to change and Ottawa needs to hit hard now and get a string of wins if they want to move up the Atlantic’s middle tier and stay in a wildcard spot or better.
A nine-game road trip would be a challenge for any team. But Senators fans who have fond memories of last year’s extended road trips will quickly become spooked and fear the worst if Ottawa starts this new away swing with three straight losses. They went on a five-game road trip in late December and lost every game when they fired Smith. Not long after, they had another road trip against the Canucks, Kraken, Oilers, Flames and Sabers, again losing all five games.
The Sens need to enter the holiday break on a positive note, and that means taking them on against the Kraken, Flames, Canucks and Oilers. The good news for Sens fans is that Ottawa is in control of its destiny. If they continue to play well, the Senators can build a cushion in the playoff race. Anyone who plays poorly will be the same as always in the Canadian capital.
Given their current winning streak, they have a real chance to finally prove that they are worthy of the high expectations. Let’s see how the senators respond to the pressure.
Related: Is Ottawa Senators’ Drake Batherson ‘One of the Most Underrated Players’ in the NHL?
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