Ottawa Senators: Was that the Worst Game in Franchise History?

Take a good look Melnyk, this is what the Ottawa Senators have become.

Would you believe me if I told you that the Ottawa Senators had a 2-0 lead in last night’s game?

Yes, your math is correct, the Sens allowed seven unanswered goals to the Washington Capitals. Sure, the Caps are the defending Stanley Cup champions, but that is no excuse for the play on the ice last night.

Taking everything into account (the final score, play of the team, depleted roster, never-ending misery of Sens fans), it begs the question: Was last night the worst game in the history of the Ottawa Senators?

Poor Play All Around

The Sens let the Capitals walk all over them, it wasn’t even a contest. Washington picked Ottawa apart with their passing, leaving Anders Nilsson (Who was pulled after the sixth Caps goal) wide open to the shots of some of the most elite snipers in the NHL. The defense was awful, particularly Dylan DeMelo and Thomas Chabot, who both looked gassed every time they were on the ice.

Offensively things weren’t much better, with the Sens only mustering 23 shots on a team that came into the game allowing 32.4 shots per game. The forwards were out played along the boards and couldn’t keep up with the speed of the Caps after the first period. Braden Holtby, after the first period, had arguably his easiest game of the season.

As for Nilsson, he was probably the worst player on the ice for the Sens. I know there’s only so much he can do, but a majority of the goals allowed last night were on him. The first Caps goal, where Nilsson was sliding from side to side like a penguin and over committing to his left side, leaving an empty net wide open for Tom Wilson. Or how about the Brett Connolly goal, where he simply knocked it through the hole under Nilsson’s arm as he was squeezed up against the post?

Even simple shots from the point were beating Nilsson. It was his worst game as a Senator so far, and his performance was a reflection of the team.

It was ugly, and the only people who enjoyed this game were Capitals fans (One of which is my father, who enjoyed seeing the Caps run up the score) and Colorado Avalanche fans, who are getting closer to drafting Jack Hughes with the pick given to them by the Sens for Matt Duchene.

Tell Us How You Really Feel?

But the play on the ice isn’t what propels this game into the “Worst game ever” conversation. The real pain is that this game is the result of so many poor decisions made by management/ownership. This game came one day after trading a captain candidate in Mark Stone, a move that showed those in charge don’t care about the next two-to-three years.

What we saw last night is going to be a common occurence during this “rebuild”. A mix of cheap, young players and older veterans who couldn’t cut it on elite NHL teams. Yes there are bright spots (Chabot, Brady Tkachuk, Rudolfs Balcers), but they aren’t going to correct the course of the team without help.

This game is, unfortunately, a new beginning for the Ottawa Senators. At least before we at least had Stone, Duchene and Ryan Dzingel to help lead the offense and keep games competitive. Now, Chris Tierney is the Sens’ highest scoring forward with 40 points. Any fun that may have been had watching Sens games is gone. Be prepared for games where the Sens are out-shot, out-played, and out-scored by a wide margin. It is a painful look into the next few years for the Sens, and makes last night’s game even worse.

Brass Morons

The team that was on the ice last night looked like the Ottawa Senators, they had the uniforms, but they were not the Ottawa Senators. That was a team that looked more like a bottom-feeding AHL team, not an NHL franchise. Pierre Dorion want Sens fans to be patient? In less than two years this team has gone from being one goal away from the Stanley Cup Final to an absolute dumpster fire. Fans aren’t going to show up to watch this team, and things are going to become dire for this organization.

Dorion and Eugene Melnyk were awfully proud of the moves the Ottawa Senators made this past weekend. They better enjoy those picks, cause by the end of the season it may be all they have left.