The whole two steps forward, three steps back situation in the Senators net is getting tiresome.
Just when Craig Anderson was starting to show signs of regaining control of the Ottawa Senators crease, well, Tuesday happened against the Chicago Blackhawks.
After yielding three goals in the first half of the second period to spot the Blackhawks a 4-0 lead — bad angle shots and fat rebounds were key — coach Guy Boucher had little choice but to yank him for back-up Mike Condon.
The Senators have become a tire fire in the second period, yielding nine goals in that stanza over their past three games.
Wait. Check that. Make it 11 second period goals in three games. Nick Schmaltz and Jan Rutta scored late in the period against Condon, piling more garbage on top of the blaze.
Clearly, it’s not fair to blame it all on Anderson. Ugly is only one four-letter word to describe the mess inside the Senators zone.
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Ottawa Senators Fredrik Claesson eludes the check of Chicago Blackhawks Richard Panik during NHL action at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on January 9,2018. Errol McGihon/Postmedia
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Ottawa Senators Tom Pyatt pursues Chicago Blackhawks Jonathan Toews during NHL action at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on January 9,2018. Errol McGihon/Postmedia
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Chicago Blackhawks' Ryan Hartman (38) gets pushed to the ice by Ottawa Senators' Bobby Ryan during the first period of NHL hockey action in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018.
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Chicago Blackhawks' Vinnie Hinostroza battles for the puck against Ottawa Senators' Colin White during the first period of NHL hockey action in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018.
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OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 9: Erik Karlsson #65 of the Ottawa Senators falls to the ice after contact with Ryan Hartman #38 of the Chicago Blackhawks in the second period at Canadian Tire Centre on January 9, 2018 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 9: Richard Panik #14 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates his first period goal against the Ottawa Senators with teammates Connor Murphy #5, Michal Kempny #6, Tommy Wingels #57 and Lance Bouma #17 at Canadian Tire Centre on January 9, 2018 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 9: Craig Anderson #41 of the Ottawa Senators makes a save against Ryan Hartman #38 of the Chicago Blackhawks as Fredrik Claesson #33 of the Ottawa Senators defends the net in the first period at Canadian Tire Centre on January 9, 2018 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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Ottawa Senators Craig Anderson adjust his mask as Chicago Blackhawks Jonathan Toews leads his team back to the bench after celebrating a second period goal during NHL action at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on January 9,2018. Errol McGihon/Postmedia ORG XMIT: POS1801092040307230
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Ottawa Senators Zack Smith and Tom Pyatt screen Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Anton Forsberg as defence man Jordan Oesterle looks on during NHL action at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on January 9,2018. Errol McGihon/Postmedia ORG XMIT: POS1801091930456876
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OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 9: Vinnie Hinostroza #48 of the Chicago Blackhawks uses his body to keep the puck from a falling Colin White #36 of the Ottawa Senators in the first period at Canadian Tire Centre on January 9, 2018 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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Chicago Blackhawks' Ryan Hartman, left, and Ottawa Senators' Erik Karlsson battle for the puck during the first period of NHL hockey action in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018.
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Chicago Blackhawks goalie Anton Forsberg braces for a shot with teammate Jordan Oesterle (82) against Ottawa Senators' Zack Smith (15) and Tom Pyatt (10) during the first period of NHL hockey action in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018.
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Ottawa Senators Mark Stone eludes the check of Chicago Blackhawks Gustav Forsling during NHL action at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on January 9,2018. Errol McGihon/Postmedia
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Ottawa Senators Matt Duchene eludes the check of Chicago Blackhawks David Kampf during NHL action at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on January 9,2018. Errol McGihon/Postmedia
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Ottawa Senators Zack Smith and Tom Pyatt screen Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Anton Forsberg as defence man Jordan Oesterle looks on during NHL action at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on January 9,2018. Errol McGihon/Postmedia
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Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson, left, gets replaced by Mike Condon during the second period of NHL hockey action in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018.
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Ottawa Senators Ryan Dzingel skates with Chicago Blackhawks Jan Rutta during NHL action at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on January 9,2018. Errol McGihon/Postmedia
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Chicago Blackhawks' Jordan Oesterle helps goalie Anton Forsberg with a save as they take on the Ottawa Senators during the first period of NHL hockey action in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018.
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Ottawa Senators Bobby Ryan checks Chicago Blackhawks Ryan Hartman as Senators Erik Karlsson skates past during NHL action at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on January 9,2018. Errol McGihon/Postmedia
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Ottawa Senators Derick Brassard checks Chicago Blackhawks Duncan Keith during NHL action at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on January 9,2018. Errol McGihon/Postmedia
CHEZ BRASSARD
Once again Tuesday, Senators rookie Thomas Chabot was paired with Erik Karlsson, while trying to find a permanent home on the Senators blueline. He’s also, apparently, doing everything he can to earn himself a permanent place at Maison Brassard.
“When there’s something to clean, I try to help him out and do it,” Chabot said of veteran centre Derick Brassard, who has opened his doors to him, sparing him the drudgery of spending all his down time in a hotel room.
“It’s a no-brainer for me, I’m by myself,” said Brassard, who also housed Ryan Dzingel last season. “(Chabot) is also a French-Canadian guy, with a really good attitude. He’s going to be a really good player for this organization for a long time. He’s already acting like a pro.”
So what happens if Chabot — currently waiting and wondering if he’ll be assigned to Belleville of the AHL during the Senators bye week — gets the word he’s staying in Ottawa for the rest of the season?
“Maybe,” said Brassard, “I’ll have to talk to him and bump up his rent.”
LIVING DAY BY DAY
When Chabot says he’s “going with the flow”, he’s not talking about following Karlsson’s hairdo. He means he’s not getting ahead of himself, even though the praise is starting to come from coach Boucher as well as teammates. “I heard about that from you guys (in the media), but I’m not really the guy who is going to go on Twitter or social media to see what the coach thinks of me,” he said. “We know if we’ve played well or played an average game or we didn’t play well at all. After games, I’m usually pretty good at giving myself advice about what I should do better…
WINDS OF CHANGE
A couple of guys named Vinnie Hinostroza and Jordan Oesterle were in the Blackhawks starting lineup, along with Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brandon Saad. In a stunning move, Blackhawks defenceman and alternate captain Brent Seabrook was a healthy scratch. Seabrook has played 964 regular season and 123 playoff games, a major part of the core that helped win the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. Seabrook is making $9 million this season and carries a salary cap hit of $6.875 million for the next six seasons, making him the richest guy in the press box Tuesday … Wonder if Boucher would ever be so bold with his unproductive veterans?
SPEAKING OF CHICAGO
Senators winger Dzingel grew up outside Chicago, watching closely as the Blackhawks went from an NHL embarrassment under the Bill Wirtz regime into a powerhouse, building around Toews and Patrick Kane during his early teenage years. “When the puck drops, it goes back to just another game, but in the warm-ups and with my family and stuff, they get excited. It’s cool for me,” he said. The first period on Tuesday didn’t end so cool for him, though. Dzingel’s inability to clear the puck led to the extended stretch of play inside the Senators zone and Richard Panik’s game-opening goal with 1:09 remaining in the period … Other than Dzingel and Mark Stone, are there any other Senators who have either met or exceeded expectations in the first half of the season? … Stone, who gave the Senators some second period hope by scoring his 18th of the season, deserves to be invited to the NHL all-star game ahead of Karlsson. Way too often, though, the league makes those decisions based on career reputations, not current success … If you don’t like the story of Jeff Glass making it to the NHL 13 years after being drafted, you don’t have a heart. Or a soul. Glass, however, isn’t the oldest Blackhawks player to make his NHL debut. That honour belongs to defenceman Magnus Johansson, who was 34 when he played his first game for Chicago in 2007-08. The oldest player to ever make his NHL debut is Connie Madigan, who was 38 when he joined the St. Louis Blues lineup in 1972-73. Madigan went on to more fame for his cameo in Slap Shot, playing the role of Ross “Mad Dog” Madison.