For the Ottawa Senators, home-ice advantage might mean more than it should. The Sens have been noticeably better when playing in Ottawa, stealing games against stronger opponents, than when playing on the road.
Ottawa is 10-7 at home, even with a three-game skid at home in November, and 5-8 on the road. Whether it is the familiar cold or the Canadian Tire Center’s (CTC) environment, the Senators usually seem to have the upper hand playing at home.
Although this is a trend that many teams see, it could be problematic for the Sens on their approaching nine-game road trip because the World Juniors are being held in Ottawa.
The Senators just wrapped up their final homestand of 2024 on December 14 with an overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. They will not return to the CTC until January 9, nearly a month away.
Senators Road Trip
This will by far be the Senators’ longest road trip of the season, with no other road trip being longer than three games. Of their multi-game road trips so far, the Senators have only come out of one with a winning record back when they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins in their respective barns.
After a so-far strong December and courtesy of their current three-game win streak, the Senators are currently sitting in a wildcard spot.
If they want to maintain any playoff hopes, they’ll want to come out of this road trip with a winning record or at least something close to it. Luckily, their roadie sees them traveling to the West Coast for a while, only facing one division and conference opponent in Detroit at the tail-end of it.
But what do the Senators need to do to come out of this road trip in a good spot? For the most part, keep doing what they are doing.
Linus Ullmark has proved time and time again that when he is on, he can steal games for this team. With a save-of-the-year campaign against the Penguins and an unreal stat line in the month of December, he is one of the main reasons the Sens have made their way back to a wildcard spot.
With Anton Forsberg suffering an injury in warm-ups against the Penguins, although the severity is still unknown, the Senators will likely be leaning on Ullmark to lock down the cage on the road trip and continue his success in net for the team.
Another fix Ottawa has seemed to make is the discipline they have been desperately needing.
They managed to stay out of the box completely against the Penguins in their last game, not being tempted by scrums and the normal cheap shots that often provoke retaliation.
Although none of their goals came on the power play in that game, being able to control the puck and pressure the Penguins’ defense was key in keeping their momentum in the tight game.
It also helps that the penalty kill unit was not needed.
Finally, an overdue breakout performance for Thomas Chabot hopefully signals a turning point in his season. Or at least a reminder of the difference-maker he can be.
With one goal and one assist and 24:59 on the ice, Chabot commanded the game against Pittsburgh. While there is often debate on whether he is reliable, especially in the absence of Artem Zub, if the Quebec native can continue to have solid performances that will tighten up the otherwise questionable defensive core for the Sens.
If the Senators can stick to the style of play that they’ve shown so far in December and rely on their top-end talent to keep producing, this daunting road trip should be manageable.
ITR 38: Quenneville is a Duck – Inside The Rink
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