Your Ottawa Senators showed up to take on the Edmonton Oliers Monday night and forgot they had to play the game to get the two points. Playing a decent first period, the Senators played the last 40 minutes like they wanted to get home and watch Monday Night Football. Losing 4-1 to one of the lowest scoring teams in the league, Ottawa has now lost seven out of their last ten games and are plummeting in the Eastern Conference.
There was only one positive to come out of this game. Nick Foligno has finally broken out of his 24 game goal-less streak to notch his first of the year. Even though it was a fluke goal, Foligno will take it as he seemed as he was cursed this year. Hopefully this will give Nicky the jump start he needs to put the puck in the back of the net more often.
When you lose to the second worst team in the NHL, there are many things that went wrong.
Brain Elliott started his second straight game after his shutout against the Leafs. He played a solid first two periods but got beat twice in the third to put the game out of reach. Elliott didn’t cost the Sens the game, but he also didn’t keep them in the game.
Discipline was a major factor in Monday’s game. From the second period onward, Ottawa took five consecutive penalties to kill any momentum that they created. With the Oilers tying the game with a powerplay goal, Ottawa shot themselves in the foot Monday night.
The Big Guns were non-exsistent versus the Oilers. With each playing over 17 minutes, Spezza, Alfie, Fisher, Michalek and Kovalev had a combined 11 shots and exactly zero offense. Daniel Alfredsson has now gone pointless in four games as has Jason Spezza. These two are the key to Ottawa’s offense and the team goes as these two go.
Here are the game highlights courtesy of NHL.com.
***Three Stars***
First Star: Andrew Coglinao – earns it with his effort and two points.
Second Star: Martin Gerber – earns it with 22 saves and a solid performance.
Third Star: Gilbert Brule – earns it with a two point night.
With 25 games in the books, Ottawa sports a 11-13-1 record good enough for 10th in the East. Ottawa has a few tough games coming up and are going to regret now getting two points here. Up next is the return of Dany Heatley to Ottawa for the first time since he asked to be traded. ‘Til next time, GO SENS GO!!!!!
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