Ottawa Senators: How They Look After The Month Of October

As we turn the calendar on October and move to November so ends the first moth of the NHL season. For the Ottawa Senators it was an up and down month.

The season started full of doubt for the Ottawa Senators. Already under the scrutiny of critics they were without Erik Karlsson to start the season. The first two games came and the Sens fell on both occasions despite picking up points in both. The goal at this point was to stay afloat before Karlsson returned.

A Strong Road Trip

Following the two early shootout losses the Sens set out on their Western Canada road trip. This along with the California road trip is considered the most difficult road trip of the season. Despite injuries and the difficult schedule, the Sens swept the three games for the first time in franchise history. Following these victories Erik Karlsson made his return.

The Return Of Erik Karlsson

With Karlsson set to return after five games the Sens had yet to fall in regulation. However, the world is a strange place and in his first game back the Sens fell in regulation for the first time.

After their first regulation loss the Sens went on another five game point streak. However, the run was filled with just two wins and was riddled with controversy. The team gave up leads in many of the games they played, and the argument could be made that they should have won all five games.

A Recent Failure

This brings the Sens to their most recent game, a battle with the Montreal Canadiens. Only it wasn’t much of a battle and the Sens were crushed by the score of 8-3. Thus, ended the month of October for the Ottawa Senators.

Next: Ottawa Senators: Trade Rumors Swirl Following Bobby Ryan Injury

A Need For Improvement

At the end of October, the Ottawa Senators sit second in the Atlantic with 15 points in 12 games. However, they have just five wins in this time. They have been able to stay afloat by taking many games to overtime. However, the sloppy play and defensive lapses will catch up with them soon if they don’t tighten things up. They will need to win more games in November if they hope to keep their spot in the standings.