Senators disappointed after 4-0 loss in homecoming: ‘Not good enough’

Ottawa was playing its first game on home ice since Dec. 14 after they were forced on the road for nine games due to the world junior hockey championship. It was hardly the homecoming anyone expected.

“We’ve been gone for a long time now, and we talked about it before the game,” said forward Josh Norris. “We wanted to come out and have a good game in front of our fans. It’s been a while, and yeah, sucks that we didn’t do that for them.”

The Senators have now been outscored 15-4 through this losing streak. Ottawa was one of the hottest teams in the league before the Christmas break, but has gone 1-3-1 since Dec. 28.

“I think our offence is part of it,” said coach Travis Green, adding: “You’re not going to win a lot of games if you’re not scoring.”

Unsurprisingly, Ottawa’s top scorers have struggled through this stretch.

Tim Stutzle, who leads the team in points, hasn’t scored in five games. Drake Batherson is scoreless in his last 10 and Claude Giroux in the last four.

Brady Tkachuk has scored twice through the last five games, but it’s just not good enough for a team that is pushing for a playoff spot.

Give credit to the Sabres, who made the most of their chances and had a couple fortunate bounces, not to mention a solid 35-save shutout from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Jack Quinn led the way with a pair of goals.

Quinn buried his first midway through the first period to open the scoring. He made it 2-0 later in the frame, taking a Peyton Krebs pass at centre ice as he stepped out of the penalty box before going bar-down for his seventh of the season.

“I think my game is to be an offensive producer and score, so some tough times at the start of the year,” said Quinn. “Things were feeling a lot harder for me than years before, for some reason. But it’s nice to see some of the work I’ve been putting in pay off.”

A Nick Jensen turnover early in the second allowed Dylan Cozens to beat Forsberg. Ryan McLeod made it 4-0 midway through the period when his shot went in off Chabot’s skate.

There was much to like from the Sabres (16-21-5), who are desperate to make ground in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Senators won’t have long to ponder this one with back-to-back games on deck this weekend against the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road Saturday before returning home Sunday to face the Dallas Stars.

Noah Gregor added to Ottawa’s injury woes. He left the game late in the second after going hard into the boards and was seen limping. Green said “he’s going to be out for a little while.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 9, 2025.

Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press

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Buffalo Sabres’ Connor Clifton (75) hits Ottawa Senators’ Brady Tkachuk (7) during first period NHL hockey action in Ottawa on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

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by Canadian Press

Senators disappointed after 4-0 loss in homecoming: ‘Not good enough’

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