The 2024 Ottawa Senators are off to a rough start on the road. In their first six road games, they're 1-5-0. For whatever reason, they just can't find their footing away from Canada's capitol. Ottawa has been outscored 22-15 in the six games as well.
At home, it's been the complete opposite. The Senators are 5-1-0 in Ottawa and have outscored their opponents 28-16. They've been dominant at home, so why can't they figure it out on the road?
It's a great question, but it's not hard to figure out.
Organizational pressure could be getting to them
The Senators have been saying they're ready to compete for two years now. When will they actually be right? It might just be bad luck or bad judgement, but it's not like Ottawa hasn't been aggressive in making big moves to try and improve the team.
They traded for Alex Debrincat, signed Vladimir Tarasenko, and traded for Linus Ullmark. Those three guys are pretty big names in the hockey world. Despite this, both Debrincat and Tarasenko got shipped off to different teams, while Ullmark has looked like the only bright spot out of the three so far.
This Senators team isn't bad. They're sixth in the Atlantic Division and are only two points behind Tampa Bay for third in the division. The time for a breakout year and consistent play is right now. They have the goalie, some star young players, depth, and a mix of veterans. There's no more room for excuses; Ottawa needs to start seeing some results.
The Senators have already corrected mistakes from the past few seasons
Traditionally, Ottawa has been a team that has gotten off to such a bad start that they sink themselves down in the standings come November. They have avoided that this year, and they're right in the mix.
If this team can find some consistency on the road, I think they can push for the playoffs. They have to get all of the outside noise out of their heads and just play hockey. Whether they are up for the challenge is yet to be determined.