Record: 26-21-4, 56 pts Conference Rank: 5th Division Rank: 2nd Top Scorer: Mike Fisher (17 goals, 22 assists, 39 points) Top Goalie: Brian Elliott (12 wins, 2.76 GAA) Midseason Grade: B-
A mediocre offense, a sub par defense, the worst powerplay in the conference, and a middle-of-the-road penalty kill somehow have the Ottawa Senators right in the middle of the playoff hunt. The Sens have benefited from a weak division and some timely wins, as they have scrapped their way through the first part of this season.
The veterans are leading the way offensively for the Sens, as Mike Fisher, Danny Alfredsson and Alexei Kovalev are the only players with 30+ points so far. The loss of Dany Heatley has certainly been felt, as Jonathan Cheechoo has been a bust so far in Ottawa, with only 13 points in 51 games. Injuries haven’t helped the club, as Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek were both lost for significant periods of time. At one point, Alfredsson was out as well, leaving the Sens down all three members of their top forward line.
On D, the Sens don’t get much in the way of offensive help, as Filip Kuba is their highest scoring defenseman with 18 points. Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips bring plenty of physicality to the club’s blueline, but they have still given up more goals than they’ve scored this season. Mike Brodeur is a promising prospect in net, while Brian Elliott has shown he can do a fairly good job in handling the starting duties.
Unless something dramatically changes, the Senators won’t be able to hang with the elite teams like Pittsburgh and New Jersey in the playoffs, if they even make it to the postseason.