The Senators hope to get back on track Saturday night in Pittsburgh, but they have some things to figure out first.
It hasn't been a great few days for the Ottawa Senators, which has led to the usual angst and grumbling in Sens Nation.
So this week, we give you our first Senators' Chicken Little-o-meter. We present five areas of concern and attempt to grade them, one to ten, on our "Sky is Falling" scale. Ten points, and you should be finding cover, like, yesterday. Zero points, and you can keep strolling; nothing to see here.
We'd be remiss if we didn't give an honourable mention to the major concern of injuries after Thomas Chabot and Erik Brannstrom both went down Thursday.
Beyond that, recognizing that it's still very early, here are the five biggest concerns right now.
The Concern: Special Teams
Why fans should be worried: After a 1 for 8 night on Long Island, the Senator power play is now 7 for 35 on the season. That's 20%, good for 16th place in the league, and simply not good enough. The PK is even worse. After successfully killing three of four penalties last night, they're 20 for 27 (74%) and 23rd in the league. Again, that's nowhere near good enough.
Why it's no big deal: It's too early, and there is too much talent on both special teams for this to continue.
Chicken Little-o-meter score: 2
The Concern: The Pinto Situation
Why fans should be worried: Until yesterday, the focus around Pinto was all about a contract, cap space, trade rumours, and the team trying to move on without their elite centre ice depth. Well, now, thanks to an unprecedented 41-game suspension for "activities related to sports wagering," we know Shane Pinto will not be suiting up for the Senators until January 21, 2024, at the earliest. That strength down the middle, those critical penalty-killing shifts, and the big faceoff wins are officially gone for half the season.
Why it's no big deal: 22-year-old Ridly Greig has filled in more than admirably in the three hole, displaying some great chemistry with Vladimir Tarasenko. He will likely won't score 20 goals like Pinto, but he is certainly capable of 10-15 and will rack up quite a few more assists than Pinto (15 last season), playing with a rejuvenated Mathieu Joseph and potential 40-goal scorer Tarasanko.
Chicken Little-o-meter score: 3
The Concern: The Goaltending
Why fans should be worried: Um, a team save percentage of .890? A goals-against average of 3.50? Too many moments of, "Oh, he's gonna want that one back."
There have been far too many bad goals at the wrong time. While not an official stat, I am confident over the last five years or longer, Ottawa Senator goaltenders have led the league in failing to provide the big save when it was most needed.
In other words, we've seen this movie before, and we know how it ends.
Why it's no big deal: Korpisalo looked better on the Island last night, and sooner or later, one of these goalies is going to step up, or DJ Smith is simply going to drop the platoon thing and run with the Finn.
Chicken Little-o-meter score: 5
The Concern: Defensive Zone Coverage
Why fans should be worried: In last week's column, I wrote glowingly of the improved D-Zone Coverage of this year's team. Their up-tempo pressure/semi-swarm system was looking good. They were pressuring at the point of attack and supporting very well all over the zone.
Unfortunately, the same old problems have surfaced too often since then. This team still needs help with basic rotations and switches whenever an opposition uses quick puck movement to change the point of attack. Low-to-high plays and fast one-touch high zone passes seem to confound them.
Why it's no big deal: One way or another, this will get fixed. The players will finally learn to execute consistently, or there will be a coaching change. Trust me.
Chicken Little-o-meter score: 7
The Concern: The Record
Why fans should be worried: I really didn't expect this column to be such a stroll down re-Peterborough lane, but it really is interesting how much history continues to repeat itself in the DJ Smith Era. Some basic stats…
First 20 games:
2019-20: 8-11-1, 28th place
2020-21: 5-14-1, 31st place
2021-22: 4-15-1, 32nd place
2022-23: 7-12-1, 31st place
2023-24: 3-4-0, 21st place
Again, we've seen this movie before. But this year, the Sens got a home-game heavy early schedule, and there seemed to be an understanding by everyone associated with the club of the need for a better start. Yet, here they are, already in the bottom half of the league and only a four or five-game losing streak away from another terrible start.
Why it's no big deal: One way or another, this will get fixed. Either the ship will get righted – thanks to a decent five or six-game/eight to ten-point stretch – or there will be a coaching change. Trust me.
Chicken Little-o-meter score: 12