One of the Ottawa Senators’ biggest flaws so far this season is their power-play. To call it disappointing is an understatement. Their special teams unit has become a liability, but it’s been rather hard to pinpoint why.
When we look at the team's roster and power-play units, plenty of offensive powerhouses stand out. With Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot quarterbacking from the blue line and offensive talent from Tim Stützle, Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens, and Shane Pinto, the team's offense can’t capitalize on man-advantage opportunities.
A steep decline
Throughout the team’s first 16 games of the season, the Senators have converted on just eight of 65 opportunities. This lacklustre performance gives them a 12.3% success rate and ranks them 30th in the NHL, just barely above the Chicago Blackhawks and rival Montreal Canadiens. It’s a steep decline from last season, when they finished 8th in the league with 63 power-play goals on 263 opportunities and a 24% success rate. For a team that doesn’t intend to take a step back this season and has big aspirations of a third consecutive playoff run, their current numbers simply aren’t even close to good enough.
If we look past the talent on the roster, we have to look directly at what’s lacking in each power-play situation. At bare minimum, it looks like execution is the root cause. If you review almost any clip of the team’s power-play this season, you see the same three issues: poor puck movement, sloppy passing, and an inability to sustain pressure. Instead of scoring goals on the power-play, the team is now tied with the Colorado Avalanche as the league leader in shorthanded goals allowed with four.
Shoot and execute
So where does the team go from here? The first adjustment head coach Travis Green should instill in his players is to stop searching for the perfect shot, pass, or play. They’re not shooting enough, and without shots, they simply cannot score. The team needs to start prioritizing getting pucks toward the net to force rebounds. At the same time, this can only happen with better movement to open passing lanes, shooting lanes, and offensive weapons ready at different angles. This will make them less predictable and more of a threat to opponents.
It’s unfair to blame Ben Sexton, the assistant coach overseeing the power-play this season after Daniel Alfredsson’s departure. It’s also unfair to pin it on the goaltending woes and roster injuries. If other teams can figure it out, the Senators should too. All of these areas raise legitimate concerns but aren’t solely responsible for their bottom-ranking success rate.
Ottawa actually converts on a late powerplay with their third unanswered goal. Cozens has 2 on the night after scoring 1 in his first 13 games. #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/xz2whXWG7T
— Everyday Sens (@EverydaySens) October 30, 2026
To become a legitimate contender, the team needs to figure out how to capitalize on its man advantage. The next couple of games will surely be under the microscope because their last power-play goal came from Dylan Cozens on October 29 in an exciting 6-5 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings. The Senators will visit the Buffalo Sabres tonight to round out their five-game road trip.
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