The State of the Ottawa Senators at the NHL's Quarter Turn

We take stock of the wild first quarter as the Ottawa Senators hit the 20-game mark...finally.

It's hard to believe that the Ottawa Senators have only just reached the 20-game mark of the season. Granted, they were the last team in the NHL to get there on Tuesday night against the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers.

To say that a lot has happened in the first quarter of the season, both on and off the ice, would be a gross understatement.

Amongst the fanbase, media, and social media, the Sens have been hailed as playoff contenders, playoff pretenders, left for dead, and risen from the grave in a whirlwind of emotion.

Serious question.

If somebody told you, without seeing their record, the following:

a) Thomas Chabot would miss 11 of the first 20 games,

b) Six projected starters would be out of the lineup simultaneously for multiple games,

c) Tim Stutzle had five goals in 20 games,

d) The power play would be operating at sub-20 %,

e) The penalty kill would be operating at sub-75 %,

f) Shane Pinto would miss half the season due to suspension,

g) The GM would leave amid a trade integrity scandal,

h) The head coach would be serenaded with "Fire DJ" chants on home ice multiple times,

i) And the captain and assistant would call out the fans and media for being negative

Would you believe that they were a .500 team? Probably not. Neither would most.

Yet somehow, this is where the Ottawa Senators find themselves as they prepare to welcome the arch-rival Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

But lost in all of this is a happiness file that includes:

a) Mathieu Joseph has 16 points in 20 games (+10),

b) Jacob Chychrun hasn't missed a game and averages 24 minutes a night (+2),

c) Claude Giroux is on pace to match his point total of last season (+7),

d) Tim Stutzle is on pace to eclipse his point total from last season (+8),

e) Drake Batherson has 17 points in 20 games and is -2 (-35 last season),

f) Valdimir Tarasenko has 17 points in 20 games (+9),

g) Brady Tkachuk is on pace to match his point total of last season (+2)

h) Jake Sanderson has become the Alpha in his sophomore season (+2).

i) Five on Five scoring is up from 2.17 GPG to 2.65

For everything negative that could be said about the Senators' first 20 games, something equally positive could be said. A .500 record makes sense.

But despite the off-ice drama that may have clouded the picture, this team has galvanized.

Tkachuk and Giroux may have drawn some ire for their comments seemingly infringing on people's rights to complain. However, the room seems as unified as ever, and as players are slowly returning to health, there may be some reason for optimism in the nation's capital.

For all the seeming misfortune that may have befallen the team early on, their less-than-busy schedule may be a blessing in disguise.

With 15 games in each of December and January, the fact that injuries resulted in fewer games missed could pay dividends as the season plays out.

Heading toward the holiday season, Senators' fans should be bullish about their team. It would appear there will not be a repeat of the post-Sweden collapse of 2017.