DALLAS — Mike Fisher must be playing hurt.
For the second game in the eight since the Olympic break, the NHL’s 13th-leading hitter recorded zero hits Thursday night. Fisher didn’t put any other noteworthy marks on the stat sheet during Ottawa’s 6-3 loss to Atlanta, either, but that didn’t make him unique among Senators.
Too many of them are spinning their wheels these days.
Daniel Alfredsson hasn’t scored in nine games, although he does have eight assists during that stretch.
In his worst stretch as a Senator, Alex Kovalev hasn’t recorded a single point in the eight games since the break.
Ryan Shannon hasn’t scored in 20 games.
Peter Regin has one goal in 18 games.
Jason Spezza, who was so productive when he returned from injury in January and February, has one goal in eight games in March.
Making up the Senators’ best line of late are Jarkko Ruutu, Chris Kelly and Chris Neil. It should be considered the third line, but that would mean Matt Cullen was the centre of the fourth line (between Regin and Shannon) Thursday, and surely the Senators didn’t trade for a fourth-line centre when they acquired Cullen. So that means the fourth line (Ruutu-Kelly-Neil) is the team’s best line.
That just doesn’t seem right, does it?
At any rate, that troika should regain third-line status Saturday afternoon. Cullen is expected to fill in for the injured Milan Michalek as the left winger on the first line (with Spezza and Alfredsson) against the Dallas Stars.
Cullen was the Senators’ best player in the 6-3 loss to the Thrashers.
“It was frustrating. I had a shorthanded breakaway there, and a couple of other real good chances, and (goalie Johan) Hedberg made some good saves. Give him credit, but at the same time those are big momentum swingers. I’ve got to find a way to bury them.”
Cullen’s two goals since the break have him tied with Michalek and Kelly for the team lead in the last eight games. He must be first in terms of number of linemates, however — it seems he’s played with everybody.
“It’s kind of beyond the point now where you’ve got to worry about who you’re playing with or finding a comfort zone,” said Cullen. “We’ve got a lot of good forwards, we’ve got a lot of good players. On any given night, regardless who you’re playing with, you’re going to be playing with a good player. It’s up to each individual guy, including myself, to make things happen and put the puck in the net.”
Power shortage
The Senators' 28th-ranked power play has been especially horrible of late, having scored on just 2-of-23 opportunities (8.7%). “We’re going to have to change things up,” said coach Cory Clouston. “We’ve changed it a thousand times. It comes down to execution. It comes down to making the right read, doing the right thing and just keeping it simple. We were top 10 in the last 34 games last year. We obviously have a couple of different personnel on here, but there’s no reason for it to be where it is right now.”
don.brennan@sunmedia.ca
