Ottawa Senators’ power play has been their downfall
The Ottawa Senators lost 2-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday night and now find themselves down 3-0 in their first-round series.
It was the power play where the Sens struggled most, going 0-for-5 and generating just four shots on goal. They also had an 88-second long 5-on-3 advantage in the second period, but failed to capitalize.
“(The) power play lost us the game,” Senators’ captain Brady Tkachuk told reporters after the game. “It was pretty frustrating, but we’ve got to find a way. Things don’t go your way, and we’ve never quit all season. Just got to step up to the occasion.”
Brady Tkachuk post game media avail: "Powerplay lost us the game." #gosensgo
On Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discuss Ottawa’s struggles and if it’s too little, too late.
Tyler Yaremchuk: The power play has been absolutely putrid in this series. They have had 12 power plays through the first three games of the series, and they have not scored once. There was one moment that stuck out to both of us: they had a 5-on-3 for 1:28, they buzzed around a little bit early, then as it goes on, the final 45 seconds was just Ottawa trying to get into the zone. On a 5-on-3!
Again, the Sens can get mad at officiating and say they were wronged, but their power play is 0-for-12 and they can’t get the zone on a 5-on-3, I think you lose all rights to complain about officiating.
Carter Hutton: It was painful to watch. If I’m looking at this series from the outside looking in, not being there day-to-day as a player, those moments are where if you lost a series, this could have been a changing, defining moment. The Sens couldn’t even make a pass. We were both watching it, and it was really, really tough to watch.
I know Travis Green called out Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk and that they need better, but in that moment, you have to know that you need better from your leaders, and they didn’t get it.
You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…