Five Reasons To Be Optimistic About The Ottawa Senators This Season

Nov 12, 2013; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators coach

follows the action in the third period against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Flyers defeated the Senators 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

4. The return of the real Paul MacLean

After winning the Jack Adams trophy in 2013, MacLean was on top of the coaching world.  Then, something happened and when he came back in the fall of 2013, he was almost a completely different coach, and not in a good way.  The affable individual who seemed to get the most out of his team was gone and replaced by a bumbling man who seemed to buy into his own press and almost every decision he made was beyond questionable.  It was almost like he had switched places with his famous doppelganger on some nights.

This was addressed by Bryan Murray at the exit meetings and stated that MacLean needed to get back to the way he was.  If he didn’t have a three year contract about to kick in and the Senators weren’t the Senators, I’m not sure MacLean would get the chance to get that mojo back.