The Ottawa Senators is a young team in the NHL that has been steadily improving over the past few seasons. In the 2022-2023 season, the Senators are once again in a rebuilding phase and have struggled to find consistency in their play. In this article, we will delve into the team’s performance so far this season.
Offense:
The Senators’ offense has been inconsistent this season, ranking 24th in the league in goals per game with an average of 2.6 per game. The team has struggled to find consistent scoring, with only a few players producing at a high level. One of those players is Brady Tkachuk, who leads the team in goals with 22 and is second in points with 43. Drake Batherson has also been a bright spot for the Senators, with 36 points in 51 games. However, the team has lacked depth scoring, and the lack of consistent offense has been a big issue for the team.
Defense:
The Senators’ defense has been a weak point this season, allowing an average of 3.2 goals per game, ranking 27th in the league. The team has struggled to keep pucks out of their own net and has given up too many high danger scoring chances. The defensive unit has also struggled with turnovers and poor decision-making in their own zone. However, there have been some positives for the team. Thomas Chabot has continued to develop into a top defenseman in the league, leading the team in ice time and chipping in with 27 points. Nikita Zaitsev has also been a reliable presence on the blue line, while Artem Zub has shown flashes of potential in his rookie season.
Goaltending:
The Senators’ goaltending has been a bright spot this season, with both Matt Murray and Anton Forsberg performing well when called upon. Murray has battled injuries this season but has posted a .916 save percentage in 20 games. Forsberg has been a pleasant surprise for the team, posting a .923 save percentage in 17 games. However, the Senators’ goaltenders have been under constant pressure this season, facing an average of 33 shots per game. The team’s poor defensive play has put a lot of pressure on the goaltenders, and they have not always been able to bail out the team.
Special Teams:
The Senators’ special teams have been a mixed bag this season. Their power play has been below average, ranking 22nd in the league with a 17.2 percent success rate. The team has struggled to create high-quality scoring chances with the man advantage and has often looked disorganized on the power play. Their penalty kill has been slightly better, ranking 18th in the league with an 80.7 percent success rate. The penalty kill has been able to generate some
momentum for the team at times, but the Senators have also given up some costly goals while shorthanded.
Overall:
The Senators are a young team that is still in the process of rebuilding. They have shown flashes of potential this season but have struggled with consistency in their play. The team’s offense has been inconsistent, and the defense has struggled to keep pucks out of their own net. However, the goaltending has been a bright spot, and the team has shown some resilience at times. The Senators have a promising group of young players, and if they can continue to develop, the team could be a force in the NHL in the coming years.