Golden Linings/Crimson Bindings: the centres' faceoff prowess

A feature looking at the recent positives of the Sens' play.

A glance at the NHL's faceoff leaders shows that the Ottawa Senators are sitting snugly at 9th place. This has been evident over the season, and has perhaps been the duet partner in consistency to the Sens' surprising, and welcome, offence. (We're on pace to be shut out just once more in the season's last 25 games, for a season total of three blankings.) It's become just about commonplace to see >50% numbers from our main centres Jason Spezza, Kyle Turris, Mika Zibanejad and Zack Smith.

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Golden Linings/Crimson Bindings: the scoring monsoon

A feature looking at the recent positives of the Sens' play.

Last season, in 48 games, the Senators were shut out 4 times. This season, in 35 games, the Sens have been shut out once. This puts us on pace for approximately 2 to 3 blanks this year... in double the number of games. We have 5 players in top 50 league-wide scoring (well, MacArthur is #52); Erik Karlsson and Kyle Turris are 10th and 19th league-wide assists; and we're sitting nice and pretty at 2.80 goals per game, good for ninth in the league.

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Golden Linings/Crimson Bindings: the 2nd line is something to behold

A feature looking at the recent positives of the Sens' play.

Take a gander at our second line. Kyle Turris and Clarke MacArthur have been paired together since the beginning of the season. They'e been absolute Corsi machines, consistently ranking within the top 10 Corsi For % in the league. Now that we’ve added Bobby Ryan, we have possibly the most potent 2nd line in the NHL. (The flip side is, of course, that our first line is in dire need of some work.) It’s showing up in the stats, and it’s showing up on ice; it’s unmistakeable.

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Golden Linings/Crimson Bindings: EK in the offensive zone

A feature looking at the recent positives of the Sens’ play.

There is much to discuss at the moment regarding the Ottawa Senators, not the least of which is Erik Karlsson’s recent play and subsequent comments to the media that included the dropping of an F-bomb. He will be picked apart to—well, if not his heart's content, then at least his fans’ hearts’ content, and who am I to neglect my part in this duty? Only for a change of pace, we’ll be focusing on the good aspects.

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