Unless you consider being “Pesky” a valid identity for a hockey team, the Ottawa Senators haven’t had a clear identity for a long time.
Great NHL teams always seem to have an identity – whether it was the Broad Street Bullies in Philly and their championships in 1974 and ‘75; the Montreal Canadiens dynasty from 1976 to ‘79; the four-year New York Islander run from 1980 to ‘83; or the four-year run of the Edmonton Oilers from 1984 to ‘87.
Opponents knew what they were up against when they played those teams, and their fans came to identify with core players and expect certain things from them.
But unless you consider being “Pesky” a valid identity for a hockey team, the Ottawa Senators haven’t had a clear identity since the early years post-lockout.
In truth, that identity was formed during the pre-lockout years leading up to the 2003 heartbreak at the hands of the Devils. In a league encumbered with clutch and grab, the Senators forged an identity that allowed them to win a President’s Trophy based on a 200-foot structured approach where they took care of their own end first. The offense was a byproduct of their high skill level and ability to transition from defense under the Jacques Martin system.
With the likes of Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov manning the blue line, to trail the Senators heading into the third period was to all but guarantee a loss. There was also enough grit with the likes of Zdeno Chara and Chris Neil to keep the bullies in the league honest.
Post-lockout, the Senators lost some of their identity with Chara going to Boston. However, the window was still open.
In 2005-06 and 2006-07, there was the Pizza Line of Heatley, Spezza, and Alfredsson. The Sens were known around the league as a team that could hurt you with a relentless offense. They were also known for their depth up front, with the likes of Mike Fisher, Chris Kelly, and Antoine Vermette, who provided as good a penalty kill as they had a power play. Finally, they had a defense core that could contribute at both ends.
Chris Neil proudly carried the physicality torch, and even the late Ray Emery was occasionally available to settle scores.
The window ended with that Cup final run in ‘07, and the Senators have been struggling to find an identity ever since.
Fast forward to the present day, and it would appear a new one is finally forming.
Obviously, consistency is part of any team truly realizing its identity, which still makes the Senators a work in progress.
That said, based on the strength of their seven-player profile, led by their captain Brady Tkachuk at power forward, the pieces are finally falling into place.
The promise of elite depth down the middle is finally being realized now that Tim Stützle, Josh Norris, and Shane Pinto are all in the lineup, together and healthy.
Thomas Chabot appears to have found his Marc Methot in Nick Jensen. Jake Sanderson continues to evolve, and though his team-worst -10 is hard to swallow, there is no doubt that he is an alpha in the making.
Goaltending continues to look for consistency. However, newly minted #1, Linus Ullmark, has shown enough to assure people that he will regain his Boston Bruins form in time.
Heading into their game in Carolina on Saturday night, some of the recent games have served as more of an amuse-bouche for their fans, with the Senators dominating time of possession, the shot clock, and the scoreboard in eight of nine periods, with six of those being on the road.
The Senators are quickly becoming known as a team that will take the game to their opponents and make them pay for a lack of discipline. Taking penalties is akin to waving a red cape in front of a bull. Couple that with a penalty kill that is operating at an 80% clip, and you have a team that, when consistent, can not only compete but dominate games.
Travis Green is still implementing his vision, and it may be too early to call. However, Senators fans can’t help but feel like the crystal ball on this team’s identity may finally be coming into focus.
Related Articles at The Hockey News Ottawa:
- undefined
- undefined
- undefined
- undefined
- undefined
- undefined
- undefined
- undefined