Right now, the Ottawa Senators are sitting three points up on Detroit for that second Eastern wild card, which sounds comfortable until you remember how quickly hockey can turn on you. After a 5–1 win over the Florida Panthers, the Senators are rolling a bit: three straight wins, scoring coming in waves, Jake Sanderson driving play, and Fabian Zetterlund popping in a couple of goals.
It’s all looking good… but “looking good” and “being safe” are two different things this time of year.
What Do the Senators Have to Do to Finish the Job?
So, if you’re the Senators, here’s the simple old professor’s syllabus for finishing the job.
First, the Senators have to keep the pedal down.
The offence has been real lately. They’ve scored five-plus goals in three straight games. That can’t just be treated like a hot streak that fades away. You cash in on the games you’re supposed to win, especially against teams already out of the race.
And when you’re playing a rival breathing down your neck, you don’t give anything away. Those are the points you don’t get back in April.
Second, the Senators have to get steady goaltending and play a clean structure.
Linus Ullmark gave them a solid night again, and the blue line got a real lift with Thomas Chabot back in the lineup after surgery. That matters.
But now it’s about managing it — keeping Ullmark fresh, keeping the defensive zone tidy, and not asking Chabot to do too much too fast. When Ottawa’s been good, it’s because they’ve limited chaos in front of their net.
Third, Ottawa’s depth and special teams must continue to show up.
Zetterlund, Drake Batherson, and Claude Giroux need to continue to chip in. When they do, this isn’t a team leaning on one line to carry everything. It becomes a team that can survive a quiet night from the stars and still walk away with points.
The power play is clicking, and the penalty kill held up when it needed to; that has to stay steady. Late-season hockey is usually one bad penalty, one tired shift, one missed read away from dropping points you can’t afford to lose. You don’t hand those away if you can help it.
Fourth, the Senators’ coaching staff must manage matchups and situations.
Travis Green just needs to keep squeezing the schedule for points where they’re available to take. Ride the hot hands, manage the workload, and don’t let a couple of off nights turn into something longer. As Sanderson basically put it, you can’t drift into games thinking they’ll take care of themselves.
The Cautions for the Senators
Now, the cautions or “what if?” list — because there’s always one. First, if Chabot’s injury situation flares up again, that changes things fast. Second, if Ullmark wobbles, the margin tightens immediately. Third, if the secondary scoring dries up, the pressure shifts right back onto the top guys. Finally, if the Senators start coasting against “weaker” teams, that cushion disappears quicker than they think.
The Bottom Line for the Senators
So here’s the bottom line for the Senators. Three points is a lead, not a shield. Keep playing the right way, stay healthy, stay disciplined, and keep getting contributions from more than just the top line. Do that, and Ottawa is in good shape. Slip in a couple of areas, and suddenly this turns into a real sprint instead of a controlled finish.
Related: Chris Pronger’s New Book “Earned” Talks Lots About the Oilers
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