Ottawa Senators snowed under by Colorado Avalanche in awful loss

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AVALANCHE 5, SENATORS 1

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The Ottawa Senators were buried under an Avalanche of goals-against on Thursday night.

It was downright embarrassing and disgraceful.

The Senators lost two straight for the first time this month and it was their worst performance this season as the club dropped a 5-1 decision to the Colorado Avalanche in front of 17,856 at the Canadian Tire Centre.

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The most welcome sound was the final buzzer as this humiliating night came to an end as the Senators suffered two straight losses in regulation for the first time since a five-game losing streak last month.

Linus Ullmark was sent to the bench as Anton Forsberg finished this one out but they weren’t all to blame.

“There is definitely a lot of things to work on, and improve on, but at this point of the season there is no panic,” said captain Brady Tkachuk. “It sucks. You never want to lose big games down the stretch but it happens and I know there will be a good response on Saturday.

“We have nothing but positivity, belief and trust in this group. Sh-t like this happens and it’s all about responding and bouncing back the next opportunity we have.”

The Senators didn’t look like a team battling for a playoff spot for the first time in eight years. That sense of urgency and desperation has to return to their game quickly with 14 games left.

The Senators weren’t good to start, they didn’t create many chances on Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood and Ottawa was just beaten by a better, which has to sting because it wasn’t even close.

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Wedgewood had the best seat in the house until Dylan Cozens broke the bid for a shutout on the power play with 4:01 left in the third.

THAT WAS UGLY

This night was short and hardly sweet for Ullmark.

Nobody was at their best but this ranked as one of his worst, which we understand is going to happen.

Coach Travis Green decided he’d seen enough after Ullmark gave up his fourth goal on 13 shots in the first. Nope, he didn’t even make it to the intermission.

Joel Kiviranta scored at 17:29 of the period and that was all she wrote as Anton Forsberg came in to finish the night.

Ullmark wasn’t at his best in Montreal either, but the Senators went right back with him. He allowed four goals on 31 shots, including three in the third so that’s a troubling trend.

“There are probably a couple of goals he’d like to have back,” said Green. “He’s played a lot of hockey. He’s going to be great for us again. I know he wants to stay in there and battle but I’ve got to get (Forsberg) in there as well.”

He came into this game with a 6-1-1 record in his last eight. Ullmark had posted a 2-0-1 lifetime record against the Avs with a 1.60 goals-against average and an impressive .945 save percentage.

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It made sense to start Ullmark but his performance was a head-scratcher and he needs to bounce back quickly.

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A HORRID START

The Senators registered the first six shots of the game on Wedgewood and then came apart at the seams.

It didn’t help that Ullmark allowed a couple of weak goals, but the Senators weren’t winning any battles, which allowed the Avs to pull away. It may well have been one of the worst periods this club has played all season.

Colorado scored four goals in seven minutes in the first.

Ten seconds into a power play, Makar served notice this would be a tough night for the Senators by firing a blast by Ullmark at 14:23 of the first.

Two goals in 59 seconds gave the Avs a 2-0 lead.

“They capitalized on their chances. We gave them too many powerplays and they’re such great players over there, they’re going to capitalize,” said centre Tim Stutzle. “It’s hard to come back when you’re down 4-0.”

Nelson, acquired from the New York Islanders at the deadline, scored his first in an Avalanche uniform at 11:28. He fired a shot by Ullmark on the glove side that he had to stop.

MacKinnon opened the scoring with his 28th of the year. He fired a shot from the top of the slot that found its way through Ullmark at 10:29.

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A TOUGH CHALLENGE

The Avalanche are one of the NHL best teams and they looked like it by mounting a 5-0 lead after 40 minutes.

Coming off a 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, the Avs had posted an 8-1-1 record in their last 10. The Senators dropped a 5-4 decision in Denver on Oct. 27.

The Senators have taken a couple of steps backwards in the last two losses.
You can’t have this kind of night at this time of year and they’ve been fortunate the scoreboard has worked in their favour. The Senators control their destiny but too many games like this and they won’t.

This kind of loss should have alarm bells going off in the players’ heads. Ottawa had an 18-11-1 versus Western Conference teams coming into this one and that’s why they’re in a playoff race.

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