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Senators Looking to Snap Scoring Slump in Vancouver, Edmonton |
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After dropping a Saturday game in Calgary to close out November, the Ottawa Senators will continue their swing through Western Canada with games against the Vancouver Canucks tonight and Edmonton Oilers tomorrow.
When I was growing up in Vancouver, it was always special when the Eastern Conference teams from Canada came through town. For whatever reason, the setup for those games had a different feel than when, say, the Minnesota Wild or Columbus Blue Jackets showed up. Some of the novelty is now gone, thanks to much-needed changes to the NHL’s scheduling practices, but the premise for the contests remains the game. And it still brings back those feelings of nostalgia for me, especially around the holidays.
As the calendar flips into December, the Senators are still trying to figure out who they are and what they want to be this season. They started the month of November 8-4, but then dropped their last four matchups to end it with an even 8-8 record. Are they the surprisingly competitive team we saw to start November? Probably not. Are they the team that is going to consistently lose four straight, scoring only four goals total in the process? That’s likely not the case, either.
In some sense, the two teams that Ottawa will face prior to heading back out East are in the midst of similar identity crises. The Vancouver Canucks started the year incredibly well, but have since struggled to keep pace. The Edmonton Oilers continue to sit atop the Pacific Division, but are relying far too heavily on absurdly good goaltending from Mikko Koskinen and historically elite production from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Is either team “for real,” or is/was early success just a mirage?
Regardless, the entertainment value of both games has the potential to be through the roof. It’s been well documented in this space that the Ottawa Senators play a fun brand of hockey; both the Oilers and Canucks do as well. Buoyed by stunningly effective young talent like Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, the once-unwatchable Canucks are now appointment viewing for any serious hockey fan. Likewise, Connor McDavid’s Oilers have Connor McDavid… and that’s all that really needs to be said to emphasize that point.
On top of the entertainment value being delivered by the opposing rosters, these two games should provide the Senators with a real opportunity to break out of their recent scoring slump. Per Natural Stat Trick, the Oilers are giving up the 9th most expected goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five action this season, while the Canucks are giving up the 11th most. Both are giving up more than the Senators, which should result in there being quality chances available for any Ottawa player who is willing to work for them. That point is emphasized particularly well by @ChartingHockey, who shows that the expected goal shares of all three of these teams trend towards “fun” hockey:
The bottom line: These two games have all the ingredients to be a lot of fun, win or lose. Stay up late and enjoy them, because the opportunity to see some of the most entertaining young players in the league go up against the Senators doesn't happen every day.
As always, thanks for reading.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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