Seeing the pressure increasing on the shoulders of their head instructor DJ Smith, the players of the Ottawa Senators helped him breathe easier thanks to two triumphs in a row and they intend to build on their success to continue on the path appropriate.
Tuesday’s match could also constitute a defining moment in the club’s season which struggled during the first two months of the campaign. By crushing the powerful New York Rangers 6 to 2, the “Sens” sent a message to their fans and the rest of the National Hockey League: they should not be counted as defeated, even if they occupy the last row of the Atlantic section.
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For Smith, this kind of performance is a good thing, especially since some noted the hiring Wednesday morning of Jacques Martin – a former pilot with the Ottawa team – as a senior advisor to the coaching staff. However, others will say that the current instructor has saved some time. Because sport remains above all a matter of victories and it will take several to appease the public and reassure management.
“I think we played really well against Columbus, but we didn’t get the result we wanted [dans un échec de 4 à 2, vendredi]. Sometimes you lose when you’re supposed to win. We did well on Saturday against Seattle [un gain de 2 à 0]just like here, and we received what we wanted,” Smith told the Ottawa Sun.
“For us, that’s nine good periods in a row: we found a little consistency.”
Cannons that produce
So, everyone tries to keep the positive in the locker room. A few key offensive players have produced recently. Against the Blueshirts, Vladimir Tarasenko and Brady Tkachuk each scored a double, while Claude Giroux collected three points. It is important to continue the hard work, especially since the Toronto Maple Leafs will arrive at the Canadian Tire Center on Thursday.
“It’s not just the story of two trios. When everyone feels comfortable with themselves and their game, we are difficult to control, Tkachuk said. This gain will really help. […] There are always lessons to learn and areas to improve, but I like the direction we are going.”
“It’s nice to progress,” declared goalkeeper Anton Forsberg. I feel good about my performance and I believe the team is playing well. We’re creating a lot more scoring chances and we’re playing for each other.”