Brady Tkachuk: “This is not fun right now.”
The Ottawa Senators faced yet another setback in their struggling season, suffering their sixth consecutive defeat with a 6-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Jacques Martin, newly appointed as head coach, remains winless after two games back on the bench. Despite a promising start with a 4-2 lead in the second period, the Senators couldn’t maintain their advantage, succumbing to three unanswered power-play goals from the Avalanche.
Returning captain Brady Tkachuk expressed his frustration, emphasizing the challenging situation the team is currently facing. Speaking to TSN 1200’s Gord Wilson, Tkachuk admitted,
“It’s hard to look at positives right now. It’s a pretty sh*tty feeling, and I don’t think I’ve felt worse in my life. This is not fun right now.”
The game showcased notable performances, with Josh Norris, Ridly Greig, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Drake Batherson contributing goals for the Senators. However, despite their offensive efforts, the team couldn’t secure a victory. Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, starting his third consecutive game, saw his record fall to 6-11-0 for the season. Despite a commendable effort, Korpisalo couldn’t prevent the Avalanche from capitalizing on power-play opportunities.
Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon was the standout player of the night, recording his first career four-goal game. MacKinnon’s exceptional performance earned praise from Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, who remarked, “He’s playing out of his mind right now.”
The disparity in special teams play proved decisive, as the Avalanche converted four power-play goals on five attempts, while the Senators managed only one goal in six power-play opportunities. Drake Batherson acknowledged the impact of special teams, stating, “It comes down to special teams, and they’ve got a dangerous power play. They capitalized a lot.”
The Senators’ penalty-killing struggles, a recurring issue throughout the season, played a pivotal role in their defeat. Mikko Rantanen’s power-play goal in the third period gave the Avalanche a crucial 5-4 lead. Despite the Senators’ attempts to challenge the goal’s validity, the officials, and the NHL’s situation room allowed it to stand. Martin expressed his disagreement, saying, “When I looked at the video, it was offside. I guess Toronto felt there wasn’t enough evidence to reverse it. When I looked at it, it was a clear offside.”
The Senators, desperate for a win, made defensive adjustments after a disappointing start to their road trip, which included a 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. However, these changes were not sufficient to address the team’s penalty-killing woes.
As the Senators head home to face the Pittsburgh Penguins before the NHL’s Christmas break, Martin and newly appointed assistant Daniel Alfredsson face the daunting task of turning the team’s fortunes around. The Senators will have to wait until next season for another opportunity to break their winless streak in Colorado, a venue where they haven’t tasted victory since November 10, 2017.
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