Balanced Lines Have The Ottawa Senators Feeling “Connected”

If the Ottawa Senators had any puck luck Sunday, they may have swept another back-to-back, similar to their three previous successful weekends in January.

However, a tough 1-0 overtime loss to Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins off the throes of a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets Saturday at the Canadian Tire Centre makes a profitable three out of a possible four points, and inches the Senators closer to clinching the top playoff Wild Card seed.

With only nine games remaining, theoretically, if the team is victorious in only five, the Senators can finish the 2024-25 campaign at 94 points. Though the Senators are not officially home and cooled, they currently possess a seven-point lead over the nearest opponent, the Montreal Canadiens.

Providing that the Ottawa Senators reach 94 points, the Canadiens literally have to run the table, winning all nine of their remaining games to drop Ottawa to the second Wild Card seed. And if the Senators do reach the 94-point number, only the Blue Jackets can displace them from a playoff berth. It’s also a near-impossible feat, as Columbus, too, would have to run the table with their remaining nine games, which include two versus the Senators.

Not to mention, the Senators play eight of those remaining nine games in the friendly confines of the CTC, where they own a 21-10-2 record.

While the team may not be playing their best hockey, especially over the past two weeks, the Senators are finding ways to win. Prior to their recent 3-3-1 mark, the club garnered points in seven of eight games (7-0-1), making this their third-most prolific month of March in franchise history.

March

2005-06 12-2-2

2014-15 11-3-2

2024-25 10-3-3

One reason for their latest streak of earning points in three straight outings (2-0-1) is their newfound five-on-five scoring. Yes, five-on-five scoring has been missing lately.

The team is on a run of seven consecutive tallies skating five-on-five.

Only the Calgary Flames (114) and Nashville Predators (110) had scored fewer at five-on-five than the Senators (119) this season.

The Senators have augmented their scoring balance with a strong power play all season. The team ranks fourth league-wide in goals on the PP (55), though their PP sits 12th among NHL teams. Senators’ fans may not believe this, but the squad is the beneficiary of the most power play opportunities awarded this season (232).

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Head coach Travis Green started the club’s improvement in five-on-five scoring prowess Thursday in Detroit by subtly tinkering with the lines.

Before

Brady Tkachuk – Tim Stützle – Claude Giroux

David Perron – Dylan Cozens – Drake Batherson

Ridly Greig – Shane Pinto – Michael Amadio

Matthew Highmore – Adam Gaudette – Fabian Zetterland

After

Claude Giroux – Tim Stützle – Fabian Zetterlund

David Perron – Dylan Cozens – Drake Batherson

Brady Tkachuk – Shane Pinto – Ridly Greig

Matthew Highmore – Adam Gaudette – Michael Amadio

The Ottawa Senators balanced attack has been buoyed by goals from all four lines: two each from trios one through three and one fourth-line marker Thursday.

“It’s good when you have options as a coach, you can make subtle changes to your lineup. With “Ammo” (Michael Amadio) on the fourth line right now especially, he’s playing some really good hockey,” noted Green during his postgame availability Saturday evening.

Dropped from the third to fourth line Thursday, Amadio was credited with the eventual game-winning goal in Detroit. In fact, only Tkachuk (10) has tallied more Senators’ goals than Amadio (9) since February 1.

One line combination the Senators head coach left intact was Perron – Cozens – Batherson.

Drake Batherson is playing arguably his best hockey this season since the Senators acquisition of Dylan Cozens.

The native of Nova Scotia has registered five goals, five assists in 10 games. Batherson has followed Cozens lead, playing a more physical, heavier style of game.

Having really just put his game together after missing a pair of long stretches, David Perron is complementing the duo, chipping in with four of his eight total goals in his past eight outings, including three in his previous five games.

For his part, Cozens has arrived in Ottawa as advertised, though he may not have shown it in Buffalo. The ‘Workhorse from Whitehorse” is clearly living up to his moniker, accumulating points in nine of his 12 games as a Senator. The 24-year-old was credited with 17 hits in his first two games after being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres, and continues to use his six-foot-three, 207-pound frame to win puck battles.

In addition, Cozens has been proficient in drawing. This was especially notable Saturday when he went 16-5 76% in the dots.

Green has a penchant for utilizing players on their strong side when taking faceoffs. This wasn’t the case for Cozens against the Blue Jackets, who was taking draws on either side of the ice.

The Senators’ head coach noted, “The whole line is playing well. They’re really playing connected together. Heavy bodies, protect the puck down low. Those are important areas.”