We're just hours away from the start of the Senators' first round series against the Hurricanes! So, how can the Sens upset the best team in the Eastern Conference? Let's take a closer look at the five keys to victory for the Ottawa Senators.
Read More: Senators-Hurricanes Playoff Preview
1. Use last year's experience to your advantage
It is often thought that before you can learn to win, you have to learn to lose. Well, that's what the senators did last year. They fell 3–0 in the series against the Maple Leafs. It was not lack of effort that cost him. Instead, it felt like they were trying to do too much and failing even in the game's biggest moments.
The first game was a bad one, with the Leafs scoring three times on six power play opportunities. The second game didn't start any better, as the Leafs led 2–0 after the first period. Ultimately, the Senators began exploring playoff hockey. Unfortunately, they lost both games two and three in overtime, falling into a hole that was too deep to climb out of. A year later, it would be surprising to see the Senators look so bad to start the series. Not only do they have playoff experience from last year, but many of their best players are coming in with Olympic experience as well.
2. Linus Ullmark From the end of the season, not the beginning
There were two different versions of Linus Ullmark in this season. have a look:
- first 28 starts: 2.95 GAA, .881 SV%, 43% of his starts allowing two or fewer goals
- final 21 start: 2.41 GAA, .904 SV%, allowed two goals or less in 62% of his starts
Since Ullmark's return from leave of absence, he was second in the league with 14 wins. On paper, he is the best goalkeeper option for any team. The Hurricanes have their own goaltending issues, with Brandon Bussey continuing to struggle. The ulmark does not need to be at the level of your vagina (although it would be nice). He can't be the goalie that was hindering the Senators' wins in the first half of the season.
3. Penalty kill from the end of the season, not the beginning
The Senators had two different versions of their penalty kill this season. have a look:
- first 50 games: 71.7%, 43 power play goals against, 3 shorthanded goals
- last 32 games: 83.1%, 14 power play goals against, 5 shorthanded goals
On January 24, the Senators placed Mike Yeo in charge of their penalty kill. That's when the turnaround happened, where the Senators went from having the second-worst penalty kill in the league to the fifth-best. It's obvious what changed - the Senators' goaltending improved, but what was even more serious was how much more aggressive play the Senators played while shorthanded. This not only improved the kill percentage, but on the other hand, offensive chances also became higher.
This will be a big battle in this series which both teams feel they should win. The Hurricanes are fourth in the league at 24.9%. The Senators penalty kill cost them last year's playoffs, allowing six goals on 17 power plays.
4. Sanderson, Stützle and Tkachuk as the best players in the series
When it comes to any playoff series, it is quite clear that to win, a team needs its star players to play like star players. The Hurricanes have incredible depth and some great players. However, they do not have any true superstars. In last year's conference finals, Bennett, Barkov and Tkachuk combined to score 21 points for the Panthers, while Jarvis, Aho and Svechnikov only scored 14 points.
Last year against the Maple Leafs, Sanderson, Stützle and Tkachuk all played very well. However, on the other hand, Nylander, Matthews and Marner combined to score 24 points. If the Sens can walk away from this series feeling that there is no doubt that their stars were the best players in the series, they will likely be victorious.
5. Pinto as the best defensive forward in the series
No team can suppress shots like the Hurricanes. Jakob Slavin is considered the best defensive player in hockey. In the Selke's last two years of voting for top defensive forward, Jordan Staal, Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho have received votes. That includes Jordan Staal's second-place finish two years ago.
It's clear the Hurricanes will try to slow down Tim Stuetzle at first. The Senators, on the other hand, will have to slow down a team that has scored 291 goals this season, second-most in the NHL. If this series ends with people praising Jordan Staal's great defensive play, it doesn't bode well for the Senators.
However, if it is Shane Pinto who emerges as the best defensive forward in the series, it will be a huge advantage for the Sens. In last year's playoffs, he was tasked with playing shift after shift against the Matthews-Marner-Nese line. He spent the entire season battling the opposition's best players. A certain writer believes Pinto deserves Selke votes for his work this season. Now he will have to continue the same game in the playoffs also.
final thoughts
Senators fans should be prepared for a grind-it-out type of series. It's difficult to get a shot against the Hurricanes, as well as difficult to win, especially in the first round of the playoffs. The Hurricanes are deep, well-trained and experienced. For the Senators to complete the upset, they will need to win most of the key points discussed above. Here's one last thing worth mentioning before the first game starts this afternoon: The Senators have never won a series after losing two games, losing all ten times this has happened. Translation? The Sens need to steal a game in Carolina.
