Ottawa Senators Ups and Downs: Week 4
There's a new kid in town, and he's this week's biggest gainer
It feels like it's been a very long time since a Sens game, but it's actually only been three days. The Sens actually had a decent week, beating the Hurricanes and Canucks in low-scoring affairs before being stymied by ex-Senator Robin Lehner on Saturday.
Biggest gains: Mike Condon
Many were surprised to see the Sens actually give up an asset to bring in a guy who will likely settle into the third goalie role, but then he posted a shutout in his team debut and everyone calmed down a lot. With the uncertainty facing the Andersons and Hammond's injury, Condon could get called on a lot as a starter, definitely more than in Pittsburgh. Though to be fair, moving from the Stanley Cup champion Penguins to the Senators hardly qualifies as a gain. And considering he's on a one-way deal, Ottawa isn't raising his salary by playing him in the NHL. Anyway, I hope he sees himself as this week's biggest gainer.
Biggest losses: Max McCormick
It was pretty hard to pick a biggest loser this week, so McCormick takes the fall. He was called up to fill in for the injured Mark Stone over guys like Phil Varone, Nick Paul, and Francis Perron. One had to assume it was pretty close to his last chance to prove his NHL worth. And he got five minutes of ice time and was wholly unremarkable. With Matt Puempel fighting, it's hard to see McCormick getting much of a chance again this season.
| Goaltenders | Trend | Notes |
| Craig Anderson |  | He allowed three goals this week, which is infinitely more than he allowed the week before |
| Mike Condon | | See Biggest Gains |
| Chris Driedger |  | Didn't play this week |
| Andrew Hammond |  | No injury update yet |
| Defensemen | ||
| Mark Borowiecki | | Boro-Wideman and Boro-Claesson both made for some good bottom pairings. Looks like Borowiecki can play in a structured system |
| Cody Ceci | | No real complaints from me about his play this week |
| Fredrik Claesson | | Liking what I'm seeing from Steady Freddie thus far |
| Erik Karlsson | | If you're Erik Karlsson and you're not driving play and you're only scoring two points in three games, can your truly say you're Erik Karlsson? |
| Marc Methot | | We can only expect so much from Marc when King Karl isn't dominating |
| Dion Phaneuf | | No complaints about his play this week |
| Chris Wideman | | Too bad he's hurt, because he seems to just keep getting better |
| Forwards | ||
| Derick Brassard | | Not scoring, but has been winning the possession battle |
| Ryan Dzingel | | Still looks good, but somehow got "rewarded" for strong play by having his ice time severely cut |
| Mike Hoffman | | Two goals this week |
| Chris Kelly | | I sometimes forget he's on this team, which I guess means he's doing his job |
| Clarke MacArthur | | Hi Clarke! |
| Max McCormick |  | See Biggest Losses |
| Chris Neil | | Kelly's description could apply almost perfectly to Neil |
| Jean-Gabriel Pageau | | I hate to rag on Pageau, given the carousel of wingers he's been given, but the team can't afford for his line to keep getting hemmed in their own zone |
| Matt Puempel | | Fight against Carolina seems to have cemented his roster spot for a little while |
| Tom Pyatt | | Don't get why coach keeps playing him on scoring lines |
| Bobby Ryan | | Part of a sweet powerplay setup for Hoffman's goal against the Sabres |
| Zack Smith | | Hasn't been going great for him, but at least I keep wanting him to take Pyatt's spot every time Pyatt's put on a scoring line |
| Mark Stone | | Hopefully he's healthy for real this time |
| Kyle Turris | | The OT winner over Carolina is the only thing that saves him from getting a down arrow |
Special thanks to our friend winterion at Japers' Rink for our icons!