The Ottawa Senators Have a Tough Schedule Ahead

The Ottawa Senators are entering a tough stretch in their schedule beginning with a mini-road trip, and lucky them, it’s still October. First, they head west for a three-game swing. Afterward, they cycle one home, and one away game for six games total. That last game in that stretch is in Boston against the Bruins and then three nights later they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yes, there are some easy games, but evenbeginning tonight with the 4-1-1 Utah Hockey Club, many are not. So, just why are these October and early November games so important and what will they mean for the big picture.

The tough stretch in the Ottawa Senators schedule kicks-off tonight at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah to start a little road trip. This will be the Senators franchise first ever trip to play professional hockey in Utah. Now, from past experiences, you might have thought a trip to the desert, was a fun, adventurous time to play. However, this is not the same Arizona-based club our fathers told us about. Utah is 4-1-1, and with players like freshly named captain Clayton Keller and sniper Dylan Guenther leading the charge, they are a formidable foe. After Utah, Ottawa then has to contend, on the road, with two of the last three Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche.

After that, there are a couple easier contests, but one that isn’t, is that they do have to face the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The tough stretch that we have identified wraps up with three out of four interdivisional matchups. The one of those that isn’t within the division, is against the stingy New York Islanders. So, besides the quality of competition or intense rivalries that these games bring, just why are these early season games so important for the Senators?

We all know of the Ottawa Senators well-documented struggles in the first two months of recent seasons. However, last year, there was some thought they had figured that trend out. Joonas Korpisalo started the season well, and after a 5-1 thumping in early December versus the rival Detroit Red Wings, the Sens were 11-11-0 on the campaign. But if you’re a Sens fan, don’t follow up on that stat. They promptly loss six straight, and found themselves out of the playoff race by Christmas. What’s more, within those six losses, was a three-game stretch at Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Denver. Crickets chirping…

This year, this time, it will be different. But how can we peer into our magic eight-ball and come to such an absurd conclusion? There seems like there is something to the fact that the Sens best players are their best players. That idea can likely be largely attributed to their new head coach Travis Green. Green played on great rosters with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He knows how to get the most out of the best players. Furthermore, he himself was a depth player, so he wouldn’t want anyone feeling left out. That’s the other part that makes the Senators better, is their third and fourth lines.

Last year, the bottom-six forward group was filled with fringe NHLers. This year it is Michael Amadio and Noah Gregor. Guys that have been there, done that. Even someone like Travis Hamonic seems to be rejuvenated this year with extra hop to his stride. With the Artem Zub injury, he’s jump right back into a previous role with Jake Sanderson. Sanderson’s continued excellence is a sign things are different. Also, having a Vezina-calibre tender back in net tonight against Utah is a big deal.

So, even though there are no easy answers in life, the 2024-25 Senators seemed determined to make a concerted push to the postseason. Whether it is swapping out NHLers with NHL worthy replacements, or their stars playing to their potential. So far, this team appears to find a way to get it done. Maintaining that for a full 82 games is no trivial task, but their upcoming schedule and the adversity they will face, will be a major contributing factor to their ultimate success.