Three Players That Need to Step Up For the Ottawa Senators

It is officially crunch time folks. The Ottawa Senators have just 24 games left in their season. They currently sit outside the playoff picture. Consistency has been a problem for the Sens. Their six game win streak in December was followed by losing six of their next seven. More recently, they followed up five straight wins with five straight losses. Any prolonged losing streak from here on out likely costs this team a playoff spot. Let’s dive into the three Ottawa Senators that need to step up to help this team make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

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Linus Ullmark

Teams want two things from goalies- health and consistency. Ullmark has been unsuccessful in both those regards this season. He started the year hurt, then struggled in the early going. After that he was red hot before another injury cost him all of January. Since then, he’s been so-so in his return, giving up 15 goals in four games. Undoubtedly, Ullmark’s play in December was the main reason for the Senators success. He went 7-0-1 with a ridiculous .956 save percentage during that month. Here are his stats in all the other months, though:

• 5-11-1, .887 Save Percentage

Dare I say it, those are Joonas Korpisalo type numbers. Ullmark’s big contract extension starts next season. These last two months of the season are a great way to have the fanbase feel confident about him as he enters into a contract that will see him being paid $8.25 million for the next four years. Even more importantly, a December-like stretch from Ullmark likely means the Ottawa Senators will be in the playoffs.

Brady Tkachuk

Tkachuk not playing after the 4 Nations Face-Off has caused some controversy. He’s now missed two straight games. So much was made about how Tkachuk’s play at the 4 Nations Face-Off was proof that he would make a big-time playoff performer. Well, now he has 24 games to lead this team to the playoffs and show that to be true. Tkachuk was on pace for a career year by the end of December 11th, but he’s cooled off massively since then. Here are his numbers before and after that time:

• Before: 28 games, 14 goals, 31 points
• After: 28 games, 7 goals, 13 points 

That’s quite a big difference right there. That cold stretch also included a career worst 10 game goalless drought. Tkachuk needs to do everything for this team. That means that he’s the physical leader, one of their top offensive players, their energetic force, all the while committing to two-way hockey. No pressure, right?

Drake Batherson

Like, Tkachuk, Batherson was having a career year until he wasn’t. His falloff has been quite alarming. It’s no surprise that his struggles came at the same time as Tkachuk’s, as the Ottawa Senators offense has stumbled through the last several weeks. Here are the numbers:

• Before: 28 games, 12 goals, 32 points
• After: 30 games, 4 goals, 14 points

Here is Batherson’s plus/minus over the last five games: -2, -2, -2, -3, -2. Plus/minus isn’t a highly regarded stat these days, but for those that have watched Batherson closely during those games, he’s deserved those minuses with lackluster defensive play. At his best, Batherson uses his size to his advantage, goes to the dirty areas, and he has great hands to create offense as both a scorer and a passer. At his worst, Batherson is invisible offensively while being noticed for poor turnovers and lesser play in his own zone. He needs to be challenging for the team lead in scoring in these last 24 games, not struggling to produce half a point per game.