Eighteen games in and things are not going to plan. Sens brass were expecting to be sitting in the top four of the Eastern Conference, instead they are sitting outside the top eight and not in a playoff spot. How is this happening with such a skilled team with one of the top goalies in the league and one of the top young centers in the league?
To start, Hellebuyck has a 6-8-1 record with a 2.71 GAA and .906 save percentage, not at all what he is capable of. Is this a slow start? Maybe, but when you look at the defense group, all are a minus through 18 games except Goncharov and Holl, but they are only at +1. The team overall is a -6 on the goals for and against stat. What about the offense? Well the team overall is in the bottom ten of the league but they do have balanced scoring across the lineup with Madsen leading the way with seven goals. Matthews, who we thought would have 10 or 12 by now, is sitting at only 5 goals on the season and a team worst -15 rating.
Where do the Sens go from here? GM Borrelli may need to do some more line shuffling and see if that gets them out of this slow start. He could also look at making a deal. Maybe swap out a forward or a d-man with another team in the same boat. Sometimes a player just needs a change of scenery sometimes and that could benefit both teams involved. Next up are the Oilers so let's see how that one goes.
3/16/2022 - 270 words
