After An 0-2 Start, It’s Not Time To Panic, Yet For The Senators

While it’s not at a Defcon 5 panic level, limping home with an 0-2 record ahead of their 30th-anniversary home-opener versus the Boston Bruins Tuesday, the Senators need to tidy up a few things.

The club definitely can’t afford to get out of the gate with similar records to their past two campaigns (1-8-1 in 2021, 3-6-1 in 2021-22), especially moreso after general manager Pierre Dorion’s blockbuster additions.

One bonus for head coach D.J. Smith, the team plays 11 of their next 15 games on home ice to work out their early season kinks in front of what we will be a raucous audience.

First the good; with goalie Cam Talbot out with a rib fracture for the next month, Anton Forsberg picked up where he left off last season. The 29-year-old has posted a .924 save percentage and 2.52 goals-against average through his two starts.

The Senators’ new-look penalty kill with Josh Norris and Tyler Motte up front, rookie Jake Sanderson on the back end has allowed only one goal in six attempts. But more impressive is the fact, the opposition has been limited to four shots on goal.

Speaking of Sanderson, the Senators’ 2020 fifth overall selection is more than living up to his advanced billing. Already averaging 21:31 time-on-ice in his two outings, Smith has slotted Sanderson in all situations including, PK, power play and when his team required a desired goal.

The d-man also registered his first NHL career point, a secondary assist on his former University of North Dakota teammate, Shane Pinto‘s PP blast.

Claude Giroux notched one goal, one assist Saturday – his marker momentarily being the game-tying goal late in the game versus the Maple Leafs.

Giroux’s linemate, Alex DeBrincat is yet to score but has added one assist, firing nine shots on goal in his two games.

That being said, hockey is a game of mistakes and what’s done to mitigate them leads to success.

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The game-winning goals in each loss came from a defenseman losing themselves in coverage, only to cruise to the front of the Senators’ crease untouched.

Smith explained on the GWG by Maple Leafs Justin Holl, “They threw it to the net. We’ve got to be a little more desperate. We have to start knocking guys around. We’re fishing for the puck, and the puck just bobbled to a guy and banged it in. It’s certainly something we’ll look at.”

The club’s no.1 defensive duo of Thomas Chabot/Artem Zub has been hemmed in on several occasions. Zub may be playing through a minor injury and has an uncharacteristic 36.2 Corsi rating at even strength (25-shot attempts for/ 44 against). Chabot who’s received 25-plus minutes of ice-time in each game, has a 45.3 Corsi – both numbers are unlike them. Yes, it’s extremely in the season, but it’s something to watch.

Will Smith consider shifting around his D pairings?

The Senators are also expected to up the ante when it comes to goalscoring. The team has netted three in two games. However, they were “goalie’d” by former Senator Craig Anderson‘s 25 saves opening night in Buffalo. At age 41, the eldest player in the league frustrated Tim Stützle on least three occasions, and stopped a Tyler Motte breakaway.

The biggest issue the team is facing at the moment is line chemistry.

Whether it’s Stützle at centre between Tkachuk and Drake Batherson or Josh Norris skating the pivot with DeBrincat and Giroux along the wings, they’ve yet to gain consistency.

However, slotting Stützle with Tkachuk/Batherson does make the Senators’ captain a more dangerous player offensively.

The top six are definitely a work in progress – something that can only be gained with reps.