The Ottawa Senators went from doing okay, to doing less than okay. However, following a solid 2-0 shutout of the Vancouver Canucks last night, maybe that is back to better than okay. As we check the standings this morning, Ottawa sits just three points behind the Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoff Wild Card second-place Boston Bruins. Also, more assuring than recently, is only the Columbus Blue Jackets stand between them and the Bruins for that spot. So, despite the injury news on star defenceman Jake Sanderson from yesterday, let’s discuss the vibes in Ottawa, right now.
The Ottawa Senators Must Persevere in Light of Jake Sanderson Injury
The vibes are pretty good, as of now. It is interesting, that despite the fact (very likely, unless they leapfrog Montreal, say) only one of them can make it, look at these playoff probabilities of the Sens, along with the Bruins and Blue Jackets.
- BOS – 61.2%
- OTT – 57.3%
- CBJ – 52.4%
It is a bit surprising to see the three teams above 50%, if only one of them can physically make it. Talk about a fight for the playoffs. The way to think about it maybe, is if you flip a coin three times, the chances of getting two or more heads come up, well would be…50%. But enough probability theory for one day.
Senators goalies lead the NHL with a 2.08 GAA since January 25th #GoSensGo
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) March 10, 2026
Now, for the Sens, having Jake Sanderson out week-to-week with the old lower-body injury, is certain to pose some problems. Defensively. Somewhere on the backend has been the scapegoat of the Sens main problem in 2025-26. Whether it has been specifically narrowed in on as defence or goaltending, not having your Gold Medal-winning Olympic Team USA defenceman on your blueline causes a hole.
Fortunately, another left-shot defenceman didn’t get suspended for his play on Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann from Saturday. Luckily, he was basically seen as a first-time offender in the eyes of the Department of Player Safety. Plus, he was assessed a game misconduct, so he did receive a pretty substantial punishment, all told. Tyler Kleven was fined for his actions, but was playing an elevated role last night versus the Vancouver Canucks. This is two games in a row now he’s been up around 19 minutes. That’s a step up for him, as he sits at 16:37 of average ice time in 2025-26.
How the Sens Blueline Can Manage
The other side of this coin, is the Sens makeup. Another fortunate aspect of their group, is that Thomas Chabot is a fine number-one, left-shot defenceman, in his own right. Yes, he may have lost his job to Sanderson at some level, but the way he controls a game from the backend is among the best in the league, d or forward. Chabot’s impact has been more than noticeable. Last night’s game signaled the third in a row he was above 24 minutes. It seems he is stepping up big time.
All the defence saw elevated roles, but likely none more so than big Nikolas Matinpalo. The Bronze Medal-winning defenceman with Team Finland from the 2026 Olympics, saw only his third game in 2026 with the Sens. It has essentially been a by-product of having a healthy blueline. General manager Steve Staios preaches accountability. Furthermore, the idea being, if you call yourself a playoff contender, you need more than six reliable NHL blueliners. The downside being, in Matinpalo’s case, is that you may have to sit out. But having the confidence to insert someone from the press box is a huge advantage. Not only an advantage over other teams, but also comparing the Sens lineup over recent years.
It seems following a largely uneventful trade deadline, Staios and crew have confidence in their group. The main discussion piece being Nick Jensen. Well this final playoff push, and possibly subsequent run, will see him relied on. This may be one of his last chances to do it, and he will certainly give it 100%. Like all his Sen teammates.
Stay tuned, as the Sens have a huge Atlantic Division clash Wednesday night. The Sens host the Montreal Canadiens, with only five points separating the geographic and cultural rivals. Of note, Montreal does have a game in hand.
Main Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
Dennis Gilbert as been recalled from Belleville.
An indicator that Jake Sanderson likely won't play tonight.
— Alex Adams (@alexadamsBTP_) March 9, 2026
