The Ottawa Senators were handed a 4-1 defeat on home ice by the Carolina Hurricanes in a mid-week matchup last night. The Hurricanes had beaten the Senators 5-3 in Raleigh in their respective season openers, but rolled into town on a four-game losing streak. On the other hand, the Senators had won three of their last four games and were looking to climb the standings, with the added advantage of being as far as eight games played behind some teams.
While it was expected for the Senators to build on their last game, this defeat to a team more desperate for a win showed us that old habits don’t die hard (from ‘Senators’ inconsistency and defensive issues have them stuck in the middle’, The Athletic, 11/27/23). In this article, we look at three big takeaways from this game.
Korpisalo Left Hung Out to Dry
Joonas Korpisalo got his second start in a row against a recently lacking Carolina offence after a solid performance in the Sens’ 5-1 victory against the Detroit Red Wings. He started off hot in this game, notably stopping Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis (twice) on breakaway opportunities all while remaining calm and composed. The statistics don’t do him justice in this loss because the Senators players really let their goalie down.
The second period was the beginning of the end for the Senators in this game. It also highlighted some of the most notable defensive zone flaws we’ve been witnessing since the start of the season. All three goals the Hurricanes scored during this period could find themselves as video evidence in the next player meeting. First, Korpisalo was screened by Jarvis while Aho blasted a shot to make it 2-1 for the Hurricanes. Just over a minute later, an embarrassingly bad line change gave the Hurricanes a 2-on-0 situation to add to their lead. Finally, Aho found the back of the net again after forcing players out of position in their own zone.
Over the past few games and since the hiring of Jacques Martin as advisor, the Senators have done a better job in the defensive zone. However, this game felt like a complete setback. While Korpisalo didn’t play his best game, he did what he could to give his team a chance.
Disastrous Special Teams
To go back to the game against the Red Wings, the Senators played very well on their power play opportunities. They even scored their first two goals on the man advantage. This time though, it was tough to watch. And this goes beyond them not capitalizing on any of the four power plays they had.
Related: Ottawa Senators’ 12 Days of Christmas Wishes
The biggest point is that the Senators had a lot of trouble entering the zone on the power play. Yes, the Hurricanes are one of the most defensively sound teams in the NHL, only having allowed an average of 25 shots per game to lead the league before this contest. But they didn’t have as much chemistry whenever the Sens entered the zone as they’ve had at other times in the season. It did get better in the second half of the third period, but it was too late by then.
When it comes to the penalty kill, it wasn’t any better. They gave up two power play goals, both of which they either failed to remove a man in front of Korpisalo or were simply out of position due to the Hurricanes’ puck movement. It wasn’t a fun sight for Senators fans, but at least the ending was interesting.
An Unconventional Ending
Although the score was settled after the second period, the end of the game was entertaining to watch and the replays on television the next day will definitely focus on it. The Senators came out of the gates aggressively in the third period and tried to wear out their opponents both mentally and physically. But an unlikely player on the Hurricanes got the last laugh.
In the middle of the period, a 2-on-1 situation emerged involving Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris which led to the puck almost trickling into the net. However, Hurricanes starting goalie Pyotr Kochetkov dropped his stick to prevent Tkachuk from scoring in what seemed like a calculated move. A penalty shot was awarded to the Sens captain as a result. Here, Kochetkov proceeded not only to complete a diving poke check, but also chirped Tkachuk to a point that got his adversary ejected.
Overall, it’s good that the Senators players are showing emotions. However, they can’t let themselves be influenced by their opponents in such a manner, especially the goalie. At least it gave the fans, who were probably on their way out, a reason to stay.
There is no doubt the Senators played poorly against the Hurricanes to end up back under .500 in the standings. Luckily, they will have a chance to their regain composure and redeem themselves when they visit the St. Louis Blues to kick off a five-game road trip.
