Old, losing habits returning as Senators drop second in a row

In a game that was filled with goaltending absurdities, offence, and intrigue, the Senators were the second-best team in every facet, as old losing habits bubble to the surface and showed they still haven’t been overcome.  

"Tonight's game is disappointing. It's not the way we need to play,” said Senators captain Brady Tkachuk. "We gave them a couple goals, just mental mistakes. Got into old habits that we thought we got out of."

A four-goal outburst in the third period by Ottawa couldn’t even salvage a single point in Sunday’s 5-4 loss to the suddenly streaking Colorado Avalanche, winners of five in a row after an 0-4-0 start. The Senators managed to put themselves in a prime position to steal two points, but then fell apart late in the third period for the second straight game. 

The story was similar to ones told countless times over the past number of years: poor defensive-zone coverage and untimely goals against that come in bunches.

“We got too focused on the run and gun game and clearly when that happens it doesn't work out for us,” said Tkachuk.

Anton Forsberg, making the start over Linus Ullmark, did his best to give Ottawa a shot in this one as the team gave up five high-danger looks to their one in the opening frame. The Senators nearly escaped the first 20 minutes unscathed, but Nikolai Kovalenko scored his first NHL goal with just 7.8 seconds left on a delayed penalty when he was left unchecked in the slot.

The second period had a similar ending. After Colorado had 28 shot attempts to Ottawa’s 18, the Senators almost left that frame trailing by one until, once again, a back-breaking goal was allowed with just 18 seconds left. This time it was Josh Manson being left unchecked along the blue line, allowing the defenceman to move into the middle of the ice and beat Forsberg with a backhander.

To Ottawa’s credit, they fought back and didn’t quit on the game. Mid-way through the third period Tkachuk and Nick Cousins scored in a span of 2:08 to bring things back to even. But then they unravelled on defence again. Logan O’Connor re-established Colorado’s lead when neither Cousins nor Tim Stützle picked him up in the slot. Just over a minute and a half later, Ross Colton bounced on a failed clearing attempt by Drake Batherson and got not one, but two chances to beat Forsberg on the door step.

“There's just little tiny details that are pretty ABC that we didn't perform,” said Senators coach Travis Green. "And when you don't do that, that tells me that you weren't ready to play."

Most of this game was played at even strength, with both sides being given just one power play apiece and going 0-for-1 on their chances. The fact Ottawa was out-attempted in shots 70-49 and the Avalanche had 15 high-danger opportunities to the Senators’ nine at five-on-five continued another troubling trend.

Through eight games now, the Senators have the league’s lowest high-danger chances for percentage at 39.84 at 5-on-5, which has contributed to a 27^th-ranked expected-goals percentage as well. The Senators have been relying on a hellaciously hot power play (the league’s second-best unit at 40 per cent), but that mark can’t last over 82 games.

Through a 4-4-0 start, the Senators are tied for third in the Atlantic Division (or last, depending on your perspective) with five other teams that hold a .500 points percentage. The Senators, for their part, are one of just three teams in the division with an even or better goal differential, with Tampa Bay and Florida being the others.

But while they have the best power play going in the Eastern Conference, Ottawa ranks at the bottom of the division in goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, and second-worst in goals against.

Eventually the Senators will have to become a better even strength unit at both ends to hold off teams like Colorado and hang with what’s been a very tight Atlantic Division so far.

GOALIE MUSICAL CHAIRS

In a significant decision, Green decided to start Forsberg over newly extended $33-million-dollar man Linus Ullmark. Forsberg had earned a shutout in his previous game against Utah, while Ullmark pinned the team’s 6-4 Friday loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on himself. Green was rewarded for his decision as Forsberg was Ottawa’s best player Sunday. Despite allowing four goals on 29 shots, he stopped seven of nine that qualified as “high danger” looks, including multiple breakaways.  

“We didn't play good enough to win,” Green said. “Our goalie gave us a great game.”

Still, Ullmark played nearly five minutes in Sunday’s loss in one of the most bizarre instances of goaltender musical chairs you will ever see in the NHL. After a tired Travis Hamonic iced the puck, Forsberg had to leave the game momentarily because his skate blade broke off.

Ullmark initially came in for 17 seconds and made a good save. Forsberg returned for just under a minute and a half and then had to leave again, returning Ullmark to the net for four minutes until Forsberg’s skate blade was fixed and he entered the net for good. Ullmark stopped both of the shots he faced.

After the game, Forsberg described the problem that created the merry-go-round with Ullmark in the second period.

"We couldn't find the screw,” he said. “They were trying to (fix it) so that's why I had to go off twice, because there wasn't the right screw. So, it came out again. And then finally, we found one from our backup pair, and we could figure it out.” 

After another relatively good start from Forsberg, it will be interesting to see who Green decides to go with Tuesday at home to St. Louis before the Senators finish the week with back-to-backs Friday night against the Rangers in New York and Saturday at home to Seattle.