Senators' Scoring Drought: Five-on-Five Woes Persist

The Ottawa Senators are grappling with a significant scoring slump at five-on-five, having only managed to find the back of the net in two of their past six contests. This offensive inefficiency, despite the team generating ample scoring opportunities and possessing strong possession metrics, has become a major point of concern. Coach Travis Green acknowledges the team is creating chances, but the inability to convert them at even strength is proving costly.

This five-on-five scoring struggle is not entirely new for the Senators, who also faced similar issues last season, finishing with the second-fewest goals at even strength. While they rank highly in Corsi and expected goals, these strong underlying numbers are buoyed by their defensive play. Offensively, especially in December, the team has relied heavily on their power play, which itself required a recent meeting to spark improvements. Players like Drake Batherson emphasize the need to "bear down" and convert chances in key areas.

The team's recent performance against the Minnesota Wild exemplified these woes, where despite controlling play and outshooting their opponent, they failed to score at five-on-five. A subsequent team meeting has, however, revitalized the power play, leading to goals in five consecutive games. Nevertheless, the core issue of five-on-five scoring needs urgent attention for the Senators to climb the standings and avoid falling further behind in the competitive Eastern Conference playoff race.