EHM The Blue Line

It's been a while since I've done one of these so I decided to give it a go. I'll be playing this a bit differently than normal as I won't do any coaching, only GM duties. I picked a team at random and it gave me the Senators. I look forward to the challenge of bringing them to the cup.



Ottawa Senators

Year Founded: 1991
Team Affiliates: Binghamton Senators (AHL), Evansville IceMen (ECHL)
Stanley Cups: 4 (1920, 1921, 1923, 1927)

September 6th 2015
In a surprising news Ottawa Senators has announced that GM Bryan Murray has stepped down from his position. Reasons for this move remain unclear and it has left many wondering what’s going on in Ottawa since the start of the season is close and training camps will be opening in about a week. What’s even more shocking is that the Senators also announced their new GM, a complete unknown from Finland named Lasse Takala. “I want every player in the organization to know this is a fresh start for them. This years goal is to make the playoffs but the ultimate goal of this team is to bring home the Stanley Cup.”, said Takala in the press conference. Fans of the team have voiced their concerns over this hiring but the owner Eugene Melnyk has assured that the hiring was well thought of and they have full confidence in Takala going forward.

September 7th 2015
After shocking the hockey world yesterday the Senators have announced several staff firings. Head coach Dave Cameron is thought to be safe as the Senators and the new GM think too much turmoil so close to the season upsets the team chemistry.

September 10th 2015
The preseason schedule includes following games:
September 17th vs. Rangers
September 20th vs. Canucks
September 24th vs. Canadiens
September 26th @ Penguins
September 28th vs. Bruins

September 11th 2015
Ottawa Senators have announced new coaching staff signings. Jay Leach, Tommy Albelin, Jamie McLennan, Sean Burke and Craig Ramsay have signed contracts to become assistant coaches.

September 13th 2015
The Senators training camp kicked off today with fitness tests and the first scrimmage game. Team Red and Team Blue scrimmage finished 1-1. Goals were scored Kyle Turris and Curtis Lazar. The coaching staff came out impressed with the performances of Lazar, Turris and Eric O’Dell.

September 15th 2015
Team Red and Team Blue tied again in the second scrimmage of the training camp. Goals were scored by Mike Hoffman, Curtis Lazar, Tobias Lindberg and Marc Methot. Hoffman, Cody Ceci and Lazar put forth impressive performances.

September 17th 2015
Third scrimmage of the preseason was held on the morning of the first preseason game. Team Red beat Team Blue by the score of 2-1. Goals were scored by Alex Chiasson, Kyle Turris and Tobias Lindberg. The most impressive players were Lindberg, Clarke MacArthur and Chiasson.

Preseason game #1: New York Rangers @ Ottawa Senators 1-4
Matt Puempel 3+0, Cole Schneider 1+0, Patrick Wiercioch 0+2, Eric O’Dell 0+1, Ryan Dzingel 0+1, Mark Stone 0+1

Comments: Matt Puempel made a huge impression by scoring a hattrick. Other notable performances came from Patrick Wiercioch, Cole Schneider, Eric O’Dell and Alex Chiasson. Craig Anderson made 22 saves.

September 19th 2015
The final scrimmage of the training camp ended in Team Blue’s 1-0 victory over Team Red. The lone goal was scored by Matt Puempel. Other impressive performances came from Mark Stone and Kyle Turris. D Troy Rutkowski, D Mikael Wikstrand, F Vincent Dunn and F Ryan Dzingel were sent to Binghamton after the scrimmage.

September 20th 2015
Preseason game #2: Vancouver Canucks @ Ottawa Senators 4-0

Comments: The second game of the preseason didn’t have any impressive performances like the score suggests. The Canucks totally dominated the game and Matt O’Connor finished with 52 saves even after allowing four goals. The second round of cuts will be announced before the game against Canadiens on 24th.

September 23th 2015
The following players have been cut from the team:
F Max McCormick
D Mark Borowiecki
F Shane Prince
D Michael Sdao
D Ben Harpur
F David Dziurzynski
G Chris Diedger

The current training camp roster stands at 32 players.

September 24th 2015
Preseason game #3: Montreal Canadiens @ Ottawa Senators 3-0

Comments: We got shutout for the second game in the row which is a bit concerning. We rested a lot of key players though. Matt O’Connor made 27 saves in his second appearance of the preseason.

September 25th
The following players have been cut from the team:
F Travis Ewanyuk
F Alex Guptill

In other news, Mark Borowiecki cleared waivers.

September 26th 2015
Preseason game #4: Ottawa Senators @ Pittsburgh Penguins 4-6
Kyle Turris 2+0, Mike Hoffman 1+1, Curtis Lazar 1+0, Marc Methot 0+1, Cole Schneider 0+1, Chris Neil 0+1, Clarke MacArthur 0+1

Comments: At least the scoring picked up in this game. Goaltending and defense weren’t as good though. Matt O’Connor got pulled after allowing five goals on 19 shots. Craig Anderson finished the game with one goal allowed on 16 shots.

September 27th 2015
The following players have been cut from the team:
G Matt O’Connor
D Patrick Mullen
D Fredrik Claesson

30 players remain on the roster as the preason draws to a close.

September 28th 2015
Preseason game #5: Boston Bruins @ Ottawa Senators 3-2
Kyle Turris 1+0, Erik Karlsson 1+0, Bobby Ryan 0+2, Mike Hoffman 0+1

Comments: We finished the preseason with 1-4 record which isn’t ideal but hopefully the performance picks up when we go into the regular season. Craig Anderson made 26 saves in the defeat.

September 29th 2015
The final cuts from the team are the following players:
F Buddy Robinson
D Mike Kostka
F Zack Stortini
F Tobias Lindberg
F Cole Schneider
F Nick Paul

September 30th 2015
The NHL Season Preview put Ottawa Senators at 12th place in the league. Top cup favourites were Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks are expected to be at the bottom of the league.

Mike Kostka and Zack Stortini cleared waivers.

Here are your Ottawa Senators 2015-16:

Goalies:
Craig Anderson
Andrew Hammond

Defensemen:
Jared Cowen
Marc Methot
Chris Phillips
Cody Ceci
Erik Karlsson
Chris Wideman
Patrick Wiercioch

Forwards:
Colin Greening
Mike Hoffman
Clarke MacArthur
Milan Michalek
Matt Puempel
Curtis Lazar
Eric O'Dell
Jean-Gabriel Pageau
Zack Smith
Kyle Turris
Mika Zibanejad
Alex Chiasson
Chris Neil
Bobby Ryan
Mark Stone

October 7th 2015
Clarke MacArthur and Eric O’Dell both suffered minor injuries in practice today. Both will be out for a few days. It’s unclear whether they can play in the season opener tomorrow.

October 8th 2015
Projected line for the season opener

Mike Hoffman – Kyle Turris – Bobby Ryan
Milan Michalek – Mika Zibanejad – Mark Stone
Matt Puempel – Curtis Lazar – Alex Chiasson
Colin Greening – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Chris Neil

Marc Methot – Erik Karlsson
Cody Ceci – Patrick Wiercioch
Jared Cowen – Chris Wideman

Craig Anderson
Andrew Hammond

Game #1: Ottawa Senators @ Buffalo Sabres 2-3 OT
Kyle Turris 1+0, Curtis Lazar 1+0, Chris Wideman 0+1, Mike Hoffman 0+1, Matt Puempel 0+1

Craig Anderson 30 saves

We jumped to a 2-0 lead early in the game but gave it away in the second period. With the third being scoreless the game went to OT where Sam Reinhart scored the winner for the Sabres. 25 year old defenseman Chris Wideman scored his first point in his NHL debut.

October 9th 2015
Eric O’Dell has resumed practice after his hand injury.

October 10th 2015
Game #2: Ottawa Senators @ Toronto Maple Leafs 1-5
Mika Zibanejad 1+0, Mike Hoffman 0+1, Milan Michalek 0+1

Andrew Hammond 38 saves

The game was lost in the second period where the Leafs scored three goals in under 10 minutes. Zibanejad’s third period goal was too little too late. Hammond surely didn’t have his best outing but the whole team has to be better. Kyle Turris played his 400th NHL game.

October 11th 2015
Game #3: Montreal Canadiens @ Ottawa Senators 2-4
Kyle Turris 1+1, Erik Karlsson 1+1, Bobby Ryan 1+1, Clarke MacArthur 1+0, Cody Ceci 0+1, Mike Hoffman 0+1, Eric O’Dell 0+1, Alex Chiasson 0+1

Craig Anderson 22 saves

Big win on the second game of back to back and at the home opener. Best players were the best players today and they have to keep being best player if we want to make the playoffs this season. Hometown boy O’Dell scored his first point as a Senator. Also, Erik Karlsson played his 400th NHL game.

October 12th 2015
Clarke MacArthur has returned practice after his ankle injury.

October 14th 2015
Game #4: Ottawa Senators @ Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3
Zack Smith 2+1, Erik Karlsson 1+2, Chris Wideman 1+0, Matt Puempel 0+2, Milan Michalek 0+1, Alex Chiasson 0+1

Andrew Hammond 27 saves

Second win in a row. The Blue Jackets made it interesting in the third by scoring two goals but we held on to a one goal win. Karlsson has been great in the last two games as usual. Smith is solidifying a spot in the lineup now after being healthy scratch in the season opener. Milan Michalek played his 700th NHL game.

October 15th 2015
Game #5: Ottawa Senators @ Pittsburgh Penguins 1-5
Curtis Lazar 1+0

Craig Anderson 37 saves

I have to say it’s pretty interesting scheduling that we have now played five games but we already have had two back to backs and it probably showed tonight. Lazar scored the only goal at the end of the second period but it was 4-0 already at that point.

October 17th 2015
Game #6: Nashville Predators @ Ottawa Senators 4-3 OT
Milan Michalek 2+0, Mika Zibanejad 1+0, Erik Karlsson 0+2, Kyle Turris 0+2, Cody Ceci 0+1, Alex Chiasson 0+1

Craig Anderson 32 saves

We did well to battle back from two goals down in the third period but it was good enough for one point only as Craig Smith gave Nashville the win in OT. Karlsson continues being over PPG with two assists tonight.

October 21st 2015
Game #7: New Jersey Devils @ Ottawa Senators 4-1
Cody Ceci 1+0, Bobby Ryan 0+1

Craig Anderson 31 saves

Ceci made it 2-1 at the start of the second period but we couldn’t get any more past Cory Schneider. The team continues being offensively inconsistent and at the moment goaltending isn’t doing us any favours.

October 24th 2015
Game #8: Arizona Coyotes @ Ottawa Senators 1-5
Mika Zibanejad 2+1, Alex Chiasson 1+1, Kyle Turris 1+0, Curtis Lazar 1+0, Milan Michalek 0+3, Erik Karlsson 0+1, Patrick Wiercioch 0+1, Clarke MacArthur 0+1, Bobby Ryan 0+1, Mark Stone 0+1

Andrew Hammond 30 saves

Routine win against a team that should be bottom of the barrel this season. Third line of Michalek-Zibanejad-Chiasson had a huge game. Hammond was solid in this one. Mark Stone scored his first point finally in his eight game of the season. A lot more is expected from a guy who rose to be one of the key players of last year’s Cinderella run.

October 28th 2015
Game #9: Calgary Flames @ Ottawa Senators 3-4
Bobby Ryan 1+0, Mike Hoffman 1+0, Mika Zibanejad 1+0, Curtis Lazar 1+0, Chris Wideman 0+1, Cody Ceci 0+1, Clarke MacArthur 0+1, Kyle Turris 0+1, Milan Michalek 0+1

Craig Anderson 27 saves

This was a good game where three different lines scored a goal and interestingly no player had more than one point. An all-around solid effort.

October 30th 2015
Game #10: Ottawa Senators @ Detroit Red Wings 4-1
Clarke MacArthur 1+1, Bobby Ryan 1+1, Alex Chiasson 1+1, Kyle Turris 1+0, Chris Wideman 0+2, Milan Michalek 0+2, Erik Karlsson 0+1

Andrew Hammond 22 saves

This was the first game of back to back games against Detroit. We also have a three game winning streak going now. After two periods we already led with four goals, two of them coming on powerplay.

October 31st 2015
Game #11: Detroit Red Wings @ Ottawa Senators 4-1
Mike Hoffman 1+0, Marc Methot 0+1, Chris Wideman 0+1

Craig Anderson 34 saves

The roles were reversed tonight. Mark Stone still only has one point in 11 games this season. That is not good enough from a guy who scored 64 points last year and who gets as much icetime as Stone gets. Hopefully he’ll be able to break out of that slump soon.

End of the October report

November 3rd 2015
Game #12: Ottawa Senators @ Montreal Canadiens 4-3
Mika Zibanejad 2+0, Bobby Ryan 2+0, Kyle Turris 0+2, Patrick Wiercioch 0+1, Erik Karlsson 0+1, Jean-Gabriel Pageau 0+1

Andrew Hammond 31 saves

We quickly jumped to a 2-0 lead but gave it away in the second. In the third period we were able to bring two points home though with both Ryan and Zibanejad scoring their second goals of the game. Still no points for Stone. He’s playing ok but we need him to produce. With two points in this game, Bobby Ryan reached the milestone of 400 points in his NHL career. It took him 538 NHL games. Matt Puempel suffered a neck injury in this game and he will miss about ten days.

November 5th 2015
Game #13: Winnipeg Jets @ Ottawa Senators 3-2
Mike Hoffman 1+1, Mika Zibanejad 1+1, Mark Stone 0+2

Craig Anderson 25 saves

There’s Stone! Finally some production from a guy who’s been in a big slump to start the year. Hopefully this busts him out of that slump. It was all for naught though as the Jets took the game with two third period goals. Two of Jets’ three goals were scored on a powerplay too. For comparisons sake, Craig Anderson’s record is 2-4-2 while Hammond’s record is 4-1-0. The Hamburglar is winning the goalie battle so far.

November 7th 2015
Game #14: Ottawa Senators @ Carolina Hurricanes 1-4
Alex Chiasson 1+0, Chris Wideman 0+1, Curtis Lazar 0+1

Andrew Hammond 36 saves

This is a game we should’ve won but we were dominated by the Hurricanes. We got off to a good start by scoring the first goal of the game on the powerplay but after that it was all downhill. Especially Kyle Turris had a really bad game and he took a five minute slashing penalty in the last minute of the game. Not something I want to see from my star players.

November 10th 2015
Game #15: Ottawa Senators @ Nashville Predators 4-1
Kyle Turris 1+1, Bobby Ryan 1+1, Mike Hoffman 1+0, Clarke MacArthur 1+0, Cody Ceci 0+2, Erik Karlsson 0+2, Eric O’Dell 0+1, Alex Chiasson 0+1

Craig Anderson 25 saves

Good win against a good team. Nashville scored the first goal of the game but we answered right back only 14 seconds later which was undoubtedly the key. After a wild first period where four goals were scored, Kyle Turris put the game out of the reach at the start of the third period. The PP was working tonight as we scored three goals on the powerplay on just four opportunities.

November 12th 2015

The Senators acquire Nikita Zadorov from Colorado Avalanche

Today the Ottawa Senators announced their first trade under the new management. The Senators acquired defenseman Nikita Zadorov from Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Colin Greening and 2016 second round pick. “We’re pleased to welcome Nikita to our club”, general manager Takala said in a statement released to press after the trade. “We believe Nikita has potential to be a first pairing defenseman in the National Hockey League. He’s not there yet but we believe he will be in a short period of time. You never want to lose draft picks but ultimately, trading the second round pick was something that had to be done to make this trade happen. We want to wish Greening well in the future and thank him for all his contributions to the Senators franchise.”

Game #16: Vancouver Canucks @ Ottawa Senators 3-4
Mike Hoffman 2+0, Zack Smith 1+0, Eric O’Dell 1+0, Kyle Turris 0+2, Bobby Ryan 0+2, Milan Michalek 0+1, Curtis Lazar 0+1, Alex Chiasson 0+1, Jean-Gabriel Pageau 0+1

Craig Anderson 20 saves

In this back and forth game where teams traded the lead we were able to score the last one and take home the points. We finished with 42 shots on their goal so that was encouraging after being outshot for most of the season. The newly acquired Nikita Zadorov had 16:40 of ice time in his first game as a Senator. He was paired with Patrick Wiercioch in the third pairing and had a solid game. What’s still concerning is that Mark Stone has disappeared from the scoresheet again after his two assist game.

November 14th 2015
Game #17: New York Rangers @ Ottawa Senators 3-2 OT
Zack Smith 1+1, Erik Karlsson 1+1, Alex Chiasson 0+1

Andrew Hammond 24 saves

We were able to salvage a point with a good third period performance against a Rangers team that is now 12-3-2. The top lines were shut down in this game but the fourth line of Smith-Pageau-Chiasson carried the load this time with help from Erik Karlsson. Despite losing in OT I’m pretty happy of our performance.

November 15th 2015
Good news from the injury front as Matt Puempel has been cleared for full contact. Puempel has three assist in nine games in his first full time gig in NHL.

November 16th 2015
Game #18: Detroit Red Wings @ Ottawa Senators 1-5
Erik Karlsson 1+2, Bobby Ryan 1+1, Mike Hoffman 1+0, Zack Smith 1+0, Alex Chiasson 1+0, Clarke MacArthur 0+1, Kyle Turris 0+1, Jean-Gabriel Pageau 0+1, Eric O’Dell 0+1, Curtis Lazar 0+1

Craig Anderson 32 saves

Another big win against a division foe in the Red Wings. It was nice to see contributions from a wide front in this game as the only forwards without a point were Puempel, Zibanejad and, surprise surprise, Mark Stone. Seems like Anderson is gaining his footing too with another good performance tonight. In the not so good news, defenseman Chris Wideman was ejected from the game after boarding a Red Wings player in the first period. After the game it was reported he has received a two game ban for his actions.

November 19th 2015
Game #19: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Ottawa Senators 0-3
Erik Karlsson 1+1, Jean-Gabriel Pageau 1+0, Zack Smith 1+0, Patrick Wiercioch 0+1, Clarke MacArthur 0+1, Kyle Turris 0+1, Bobby Ryan 0+1

Craig Anderson 21 saves

First shutout of the season for the team. It was a one goal game until the third period where Karlsson and Smith scored twice in a span of just over a minute to put the game out of reach. With this game Karlsson is back to PPG pace. Normally it would be a concern that the team’s leading scorer is a defenseman but in this case it’s more the norm than an anomaly.

November 20th 2015
Veteran defenseman Chris Phillips is making progress with his rehab as he’s now been cleared for light training. He’s been on the injured reserve the whole season with a back injury and he still has long ways to go to get back to the lineup but at least he’s making progress.

November 21st 2015
Game #20: Philadelphia Flyers @ Ottawa Senators 2-3
Mike Hoffman 1+1, Matt Puempel 1+0, Bobby Ryan 1+0, Erik Karlsson 0+2, Kyle Turris 0+2, Zack Smith 0+1

Craig Anderson 31 saves

The little win streak continues with a win against another team we’re fighting for a playoff spot this season. We were down 2-0 going into the third period but the guys were able to pull themselves out of the hole with a three goal third period. Matt Puempel’s game winning goal came with just two minutes left in the game. This was another solid outing for Craig Anderson which now makes it three in a row, the same as the teams current win streak.

November 24th 2015
Game #21: Ottawa Senators @ Dallas Stars 1-4
Bobby Ryan 1+0, Kyle Turris 0+1

Andrew Hammond 33 saves

The high scoring Dallas Stars were too much for us to handle. The game was pretty much over after two periods as Dallas had scored all their four goals at that point. Our lone goal came at the end of the game on the powerplay. This game was the first of a three game road trip and we’ll get back to it tomorrow against another western team in Colorado Avalanche.

November 25th 2015
Game #22: Ottawa Senators @ Colorado Avalanche 1-4
Milan Michalek 1+0, Eric O’Dell 0+1, Curtis Lazar 0+1

Craig Anderson 29 saves

Another disappointing performance. This time we scored the first goal but we let it slip away in the second period as the Avs scored two goals in under a minute. Hopefully we’ll be able to salvage this roadtrip a bit in Arizona against the Coyotes. Things are incredibly even in the east so there’s not much room for slip ups. 12 teams are separated by only five points.

November 28th 2015
Game #23: Ottawa Senators @ Arizona Coyotes 3-4
Clarke MacArthur 1+2, Milan Michalek 1+2, Curtis Lazar 1+1, Patrick Wiercioch 0+1

Craig Anderson 28 saves

What happened in this game is completely unacceptable. We had a 3-0 lead after the first period and just gave the game away to the worst team in the west. 0-3 road trip after a three game winning streak speaks volumes of this team’s consistency. We were fourth in the conference before the road trip and now we’re barely 8th. In other news, rivals Montreal Canadiens have been on an insane tear the last while going 9-1 in their last ten games. The team that was at the bottom of the barrel to start the season are now fourth.

End of November report

December 1st 2015
Game #24: Philadelphia Flyers @ Ottawa Senators 3-4
Erik Karlsson 1+2, Mike Hoffman 1+0, Mark Stone 1+0, Jean-Gabriel Pageau 1+0, Cody Ceci 0+1, Kyle Turris 0+1, Mika Zibanejad 0+1, Eric O’Dell 0+1

Craig Anderson 24 saves

It took 24 games but Mark Stone finally scored his first goal of the season. It was important to cut the losing streak to three and we were able to do that with Karlsson’s last minute goal. It was a wild finish as we led 3-1 after the second period but the Flyers pulled even with goals from Voracek and Gagner one minute apart in the last five minutes of the game. Then Karlsson took over and scored an unassisted GWG only 21 seconds before the end of the game to send home the Flyers disappointed.

December 3rd 2015
Game #25: Chicago Blackhawks @ Ottawa Senators 4-2
Kyle Turris 1+0, Jean-Gabriel Pageau 1+0, Erik Karlsson 0+2, Mike Hoffman 0+1, Alex Chiasson 0+1

Andrew Hammond 35 saves

The struggling Blackhawks conquered the Canadian Tire Center. We were able to pull even in the second period with two goals but we couldn’t match the Hawks in the third period.

December 5th 2015
Game #26: New York Islanders @ Ottawa Senators 1-3
Erik Karlsson 1+1, Mike Hoffman 1+1, Clarke MacArthur 1+0, Kyle Turris 0+2, Curtis Lazar 0+1, Alex Chiasson 0+1

Andrew Hammond 29 saves

This was the first game of a back to back against New York teams so it was important to win the first one. Interestingly, all the scoring took place in the second period where we pulled ahead on a 3-0 lead before Tavares gave the Islanders life. For tomorrow’s game we’re traveling to New York to face the Rangers so I’m not expecting much.

December 6th 2015
Game #27: Ottawa Senators @ New York Rangers 2-1
Mika Zibanejad 1+0, Chris Neil 1+0, Erik Karlsson 0+1, Matt Puempel 0+1, Mark Stone 0+1

Craig Anderson 21 saves

I have to say I’m surprised. The Rangers are leading the conference, had only lost five games and we were on a back to back. Great job by the team to grind this one out. We scored to go ahead goal just 1:50 into the game and got the 2-0 lead in the second period. The Rangers were able to pull within one but we held on. The Rangers only got 22 shots on goal so the team did well defending in this game. With these two wins we’re back in the third place in the conference although we’re only three points out of the tenth place.

December 8th 2015
Game #28: Ottawa Senators @ Florida Panthers 4-1
Jean-Gabriel Pageau 1+1, Milan Michalek 1+0, Mika Zibanejad 1+0, Clarke MacArthur 1+0, Mike Hoffman 0+2, Erik Karlsson 0+1, Patrick Wiercioch 0+1, Kyle Turris 0+1

Craig Anderson 24 saves

We continued the road trip with a convincing win against the Panthers. We had the Panthers in the ropes the whole game and stifled their comeback attempt by scoring right after their lone goal. Panthers are one of the many teams we’re trying to beat for a playoff spot so this was a big win.

December 10th 2015
Game #29: Ottawa Senators @ Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2
Mike Hoffman 3+1, Erik Karlsson 1+1, Alex Chiasson 1+0, Bobby Ryan 0+3, Kyle Turris 0+2, Milan Michalek 0+1, Mika Zibanejad 0+1

Craig Anderson 21 saves

The tour of Florida continued with a game against the Lightning. The PP was on fire in this one as we scored three of our goals on the PP. Hoffman and Chiasson made it 2-0 in the first period before the Lightning pulled even in the second period with goals from Stamkos and Palat. Hoffman finished off his hattrick, first of the season for any Senator, in the third period though to bring us the victory. Karlsson finished off a good night with a PP goal 11 seconds before the final whistle. That’s two top teams in the conference now that we’ve beat on this road trip.

December 12th 2015
Game #30: Ottawa Senators @ Montreal Canadiens 5-1
Erik Karlsson 1+1, Mike Hoffman 1+1, Matt Puempel 1+1, Curtis Lazar 1+0, Mark Stone 1+0, Bobby Ryan 0+2, Milan Michalek 0+2, Clarke MacArthur 0+1, Mika Zibanejad 0+1

Craig Anderson 27 saves

Wow, a 4-0 road trip against some really tough teams. Three of those were decisive wins too. The team is now riding a five game win streak and we’ve been able to separate ourselves a bit from wild card positions. We’ll continue to face tough teams for the whole month so getting off to a great start will make things easier.

In other news around the league, the Blue Jackets have fired their head coach John Tortorella. The Jackets have been in a free fall mode recently, going 1-8-1 in their last ten after starting out pretty well.

December 14th 2015
Game #31: Los Angeles Kings @ Ottawa Senators 0-4
Erik Karlsson 1+2, Alex Chiasson 1+1, Matt Puempel 1+0, Kyle Turris 1+0, Jean-Gabriel Pageau 0+2, Chris Wideman 0+1, Bobby Ryan 0+1, Milan Michalek 0+1

Andrew Hammond 26 saves

The win streak continues with a great win against the leaders of the Western Conference. Shutting them out is a testament that this team can be very good when everything’s clicking and right now we’re on a roll. Kyle Turris scored the third goal of the game to bring his total to 100 career goals. Reaching the 100 goal plateau took Turris 429 games. Erik Karlsson is now second in points in the whole league!

December 16th 2015
Game #32: Ottawa Senators @ Washington Capitals 4-2
Mike Hoffman 1+2, Kyle Turris 1+2, Bobby Ryan 1+2, Mika Zibanejad 0+1, Clarke MacArthur 0+1, Mark Stone 0+1

Craig Anderson 28 saves

We’re officially the hottest team in the NHL right now. The win streak stands at seven games now and it seems like the team has finally found some consistency. The first line and especially Mike Hoffman have been on a tear lately. The teams ability to answer right back after a goal has been very impressive. Laich’s goal made it 3-2 in the third period but just under a minute after that Zibanejad gave us the two goal lead back.

After the game NHL’s players of the week were announced. Mike Hoffman was selected as the player of the week and Erik Karlsson was selected as the defensive player of the week. Hoffman scored five goals and nine points in four games and Karlsson scored three goals and four assists in four games.

December 18th 2015
Game #33: San Jose Sharks @ Ottawa Senators 3-2
Mike Hoffman 1+1, Marc Methot 1+0, Erik Karlsson 0+2, Bobby Ryan 0+1

Craig Anderson 34 saves

All things must come to an end eventually. We battled back in the third period scoring two goals but it just wasn’t enough this time. Hoffman continued his great play. He now has 30 points in 33 games. We now just have to stop going on a losing streak. We’ve put ourselves in a great position with the recent streak and now we just have to stay consistent.

December 20th 2015
Game #34: Ottawa Senators @ Tampa Bay Lightning 1-4
Erik Karlsson 1+0, Bobby Ryan 0+1, Kyle Turris 0+1

Craig Anderson 36 saves

Well, this was what I was talking about. Of course the Lightning are a great team and we were the visitors but we can’t let this losing streak start. The Lightning were powered by Stamkos’ hattrick and we just didn’t have an answer the whole game. We’ll have a back to back against the Panthers and the Rangers before the Christmas break and it’s important to win at least one of them.

December 22nd 2015
Game #35: Ottawa Senators @ Florida Panthers 3-2 SO
Matt Puempel 1+0, Mark Stone 1+0, Nikita Zadorov 0+1, Mika Zibanejad 0+1, Alex Chiasson 0+1

Andrew Hammond 34 saves

It was just the first shootout of the season for us and we were able to win. Things weren’t looking good when the Panthers jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first period but we battled our way back in the second period. Stone finally got back on the board and Zadorov scored his first point as a Senator. I’ve been happy with how Zadorov has played and hopefully he’ll be able to contribute more on the scoreboard now that he has his first point.

December 23rd 2015
Game #36: New York Rangers @ Ottawa Senators 2-3
Eric O’Dell 1+1, Zack Smith 1+0, Curtis Lazar 1+0, Erik Karlsson 0+1, Matt Puempel 0+1, Jean-Gabriel Pageau 0+1

Craig Anderson 29 saves

The game got off to a quick start with two goals on the board as the game clock read 1:32. The depth guys carried to load in this game which is always great to see. We’re only one point out of the Lightning for the first place in the division so I’d say we’ve overachieved by a lot in the games before the Christmas break.

December 27th 2015
Game #37: Boston Bruins @ Ottawa Senators 2-3
Clarke MacArthur 1+0, Bobby Ryan 1+0, Mark Stone 1+0, Erik Karlsson 0+1, Cody Ceci 0+1, Alex Chiasson 0+1

Craig Anderson 25 saves

This was the first game of a home and home series with the Bruins. We were down 2-0 again before the half way mark of the game but once again were able to battle back and take the win. Things got a bit hairy at the end when Patrice Bergeron of the Bruins was injured. Reports after the game say he could miss three months with a broken foot so we could see some fireworks in Boston. With the win we climbed to the top of the division.

December 29th 2015
Game #38: Ottawa Senators @ Boston Bruins 1-3
Milan Michalek 1+0, Curtis Lazar 0+1, Cody Ceci 0+1

Andrew Hammond 26 saves

The Bruins came into the game pretty irritated by the loss of their captain and it showed. We had a fight between Chris Neil and Zac Rinaldo at the end of the second period for example. There were also multiple roughing penalties called in the game. Once again we were down 2-0 early but we couldn’t fight our way back this time. This was both Curtis Lazar’s and Nikita Zadorov’s 100th NHL game.

December 30th 2015
Game #39: New Jersey Devils @ Ottawa Senators 4-3
Eric O’Dell 2+1, Milan Michalek 1+0, Chris Wideman 0+1

Craig Anderson 32 saves

Another back to back. It wasn’t a surprise the best performance came from a guy who didn’t play yesterday. O’Dell is quietly having a nice season on the third line. In his first full season he’s had 11 points in 26 games. He’s been a good AHL player for years and now seems to be putting it together in the NHL level.

End of December report