Ottawa Senators Ups and Downs: Week 8

Not a great week for the Sens as whole, but it was for Stone and Hoffman

Three losses and a lone win weren't the best way to enter December. That being said, the Sens are still 7th in the league, so it's not worth overreacting. It just means there won't be quite as many ups as last week.

Biggest gains: Mike Hoffman

Hoffman got his first career hat trick this week, and ended up with seven points in four games. It's no coincidence it's come since being reunited with Stone. Many of us clamoured for the HST line to return, but Boucher likes his balanced lines. I think he's realized that Hoff and Stone could get Brassard going, while

Biggest losses: Cody Ceci

The Sens didn't have a good week defensively, but Ceci stands out to me. Part of it is that he came into the season third or fourth on the defensive depth chart, and now he appears to be sixth. Boucher seems to trust Phaneuf, Wideman, and even Borowiecki more than Ceci. It's not a good look for him.

Goaltenders Trend Notes
Craig Anderson Obviously there are other things going on in his life, but hockey-wise, he allowed 12 goals in 110 minutes of play
Mike Condon
Was decent against the Flyers, and then shut out the Panthers. Also didn't allow a goal on two shots against the Penguins.
Andrew Hammond
He's up with the team... no wait, he's back in the minors... wait, he's been called back up... no, wait...
Defensemen

Mark Borowiecki It's not really his fault, but with Methot out, we're starting to see him against better competition. Probably also doesn't help he's spending more time with Ceci
Cody Ceci See Biggest Losses
Fredrik Claesson
How frustrating must it be to know how many seasons he spent in Bingo before getting a call-up, and then seeing Englund get one in his first
Andreas Englund
You'd have to be terrible in your first NHL action to get a down arrow, and he wasn't
Erik Karlsson Seven points, and the only defenceman who can play against other teams' top lines
Marc Methot This team needs him healthy
Dion Phaneuf
Has moved up to the to pairing in Methot's absence. I also don't mind seeing him as the net-front guy on the powerplay
Chris Wideman
And up and down week. More and more it looks like Boucher sees him as the team's fourth defenceman
Forwards

Derick Brassard
Definitely benefiting from his wingers, but hey, he's dominating play. Also that goal against the Panthers was SWEET
Ryan Dzingel
Has solidified his spot in the top six
Mike Hoffman See Biggest Gains
Chris Kelly
He and his line got walked all over this week. It wasn't pretty
Curtis Lazar
Now he's hurt, but it looked like Buddy Robinson passed him on the depth chart in that last game
Clarke MacArthur Hi Clarke
Max McCormick
Proved to the Sens that they needed to call someone else up as an injury fill-in
Chris Neil Two games to go until he hits 1000. Not a bad career at all.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau Interesting that Pageau has now jumped up to be the RW on the Turris/Dzingel line
Tom Pyatt
I'm beginning to think that five good games to start the season don't cement his spot after 20 games of meh
Bobby Ryan Don't think he was fully healed, based on how quickly he left with the same injury
Zack Smith He was fine this week
Mark Stone Six points this week. No coincidence it's come after being reunited with Hoffman
Kyle Turris Five points while playing with Dzingel and Lazar/Pageau. It's almost like he's really good at hockey

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