Three Quick Fixes For The Ottawa Senators After Opening Weekend

Stop The Power-play Drop Pass

This is likely more of a job for Jack Capuano, Davis Payne and Bob Jones to work out. Either way, the drop pass zone entry on the power-play has to stop. It’s become far too predictable and ineffective.

This is something the Senators have done with frequency since D.J Smith took over. Coincidentally, the team has always found itself at the bottom of the league in terms of conversion on the man advantage. The theory behind the play is interesting, as it’s meant to confuse coverage for opposing defenders, but with some legitimately skilled forwards now on Ottawa’s top two units, it’s not something they should be constantly looking to do.

By adding Drake Batherson and Evgenii Dadonov to the top unit, the Senators boast one of the AHL’s premier players on the man advantage over the past couple of seasons, as well as one of the best half-wall guys in the NHL. In two games, both have looked comfortable at 5v5 or 5v4 in gaining controlled zone entries due to their high IQ and creativity. This is a luxury the Senators should be using way more.

If they really want to focus on controlled entry, perhaps adding Tim Stützle into the PP1 mix could work, as a player of his speed and deceptiveness could be effective. Even if the Senators want to revert back to the traditional dump-in, Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson offer a blend of size and speed that is key in puck retrieval.

D.J Smith said that the team’s power-play shouldered a lot of the blame for their loss on Saturday, even though a lot of the mistakes really come down to coaching. The team has more options here that would be less frustrating than continuing the current course. The power-play clearly hasn’t been working for some time now, so let’s change it up.