The Ottawa Senators are 15 games into their 2024-25 season. As the team currently has an 8-7-0 record and holding the second Wild Card spot, some might say the Senators have been over achieving.
However, the Senators have been able to defy odds this season. The Senators have had issues with playing on the road by dropping five of their first six games on the road, but last night the team earned their best win of the season by shutting out the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 on the road. Prior to yesterday, they knocked off the Boston Bruins 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night in Boston.
With earning two key road wins against the Bruins and Maple Leafs, the Senators showed not only are they still finding their way in the NHL, but they can become even more dangerous with how their games have gone.
Senators earning back-to-back road wins against Bruins and Maple Leafs show they are catching the eyes of people and deserve more respect
Based on every game this season, there have only been two games where the Senators have played extremely poor. The first was losing 4-1 in the second game of the season to the Montreal Canadiens. The other was losing 5-1 on Nov. 5 against the Buffalo Sabres. In the other 13 games, the Senators have shown they can be a dangerous team.
Five of the Senators' seven losses this season have come by two goals or less. Even in games where the Senators lost, they showed fight and didn't quit. When the Senators fell on Nov. 1 to the New York Rangers, Hall of Fame goaltender Henrik Lundqvist gave the Senators high praise for their intensity.
The Senators have had their fair share of brutal losses this season, but their wins have showed they can reach their full potential this season. Two wins have come where the team has scored eight goals, and four wins have been against Atlantic Division teams. The Senators were able to exercise their road demons for the past two games against the Bruins and Maple Leafs.
With earning to big wins to go along with their other wins, the Senators deserve more recognition with who has played big roles this season. Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk are each having career years, and the team is getting a big jump from Drake Batherson who had 15 points this season. Stutzle leads the Senators with 20 points and Tkachuk is second by Stutzle with 18 points.
Josh Norris, Thomas Chabot and Claude Giroux will continue to be relied on for offense, and Jake Sanderson is still growing as a defenseman. Nick Jensen has been a big surprise with having a +11 rating.
Where the Senators are getting more confidence is due to Linus Ullmark. Last night against the Maple Leafs, Ullmark recorded his first shutout as a Senator and has won two consecutive starts for the first time this season. When Ullmark is on his game, it makes it more difficult to score against him.
The Senators having two consecutive road wins has sent a message to the NHL that they are coming. When a team starts to get hot like the Senators are right now, teams can become more dangerous.