D.J. Smith critical of team's mentality as Senators stay bottom of Atlantic Division

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Dec 18, 2023 14:47 GMT

The Ottawa Senators faced another setback in their quest for the Stanley Cup as they extended their losing streak to four games with a 6-3 defeat at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. Head coach D.J. Smith didn't hesitate addressing the team's struggles, attributing the downturn to mental errors.

Smith emphasized the importance of mental toughness, staying in the moment, and a desire to win with a defensive mindset. He pointed out the team's lapses in taking care of the puck and cited the inconsistency in their performance. Despite the power play contributing two goals, the penalty kill proved to be a vulnerability, highlighting the team's current struggle with execution and decision-making.

According to TSN, Smith said:

“It's mental toughness. It's staying in the moment. It's taking care of the puck. It's wanting to win the game 2-1. If you have that mentality, you have a chance every night, Power play gets us two goals and then we turn around and get toasted on our penalty kill.”

He added:

"So, right now, we're making a lot of mistakes. But it's mental. It's not a lack of guys caring or lack of effort. It's the mental side of it.”

The Senators, having been outscored 19-10 in the four-game skid, particularly faltered in the second period against the Golden Knights. Smith acknowledged a promising first period but lamented the team's loss of composure, resulting in critical turnovers and playing into the opponent's strategy.

Smith added:

“The second period continues to kill us. I thought we had a really good first period. We give up a trick-play goal, we give up a shorty, then we lose composure and start turning pucks over. We played right into their hands, really.”

Despite holding games in hand, the Senators find themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with 22 points. The gap between them and a playoff spot continues to widen, with 12 points separating them from the final wild-card position held by the Washington Capitals.

The team faces a challenging road ahead, with only two games in hand on the Capitals and a substantial deficit in points behind the Carolina Hurricanes.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk acknowledges team's Struggles

The frustration is evident, with Ottawa having missed the playoffs for the past six seasons, including the entirety of Smith's four-year tenure as head coach. Captain Brady Tkachuk echoed the team's collective desire to succeed but acknowledged the difficulty of achieving victories in the competitive league.

Tkachuk said:

“Everybody wants to win so badly, and, of course, it’s not as easy to do in this league.eWe’re seeing that right now that it’s hard to win.”

He added:

"We have to find a way to find a way to just give our absolute best on Tuesday.”

As the Senators approach the end of their current three-game road trip, facing the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday and the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, the urgency to reverse their fortunes is palpable.