The Ottawa Senators are looking to turn the page on a disgraceful 4-1 home loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets that closed out 2025. Instead of a practice skate on Tuesday, the team convened for a brutally honest film session, reviewing the lowlights of a performance that drew boos from a sellout crowd at Canadian Tire Centre.
A Meeting to 'Get the Stink Off'
Head coach Travis Green did not hold back during the team meeting. He described the effort against Columbus as uncharacteristically poor and emphasized the need to address it head-on. "It was important to get the stink off our game, talk about it, be honest about it and move forward," Green stated bluntly.
The coach acknowledged the fans' frustration, as the 17,902 spectators in attendance vocally expressed their displeasure when the final buzzer sounded. The performance was widely criticized as one of the team's worst in recent memory.
Addressing Fatigue and Execution
Green pointed to a lack of speed and energy as core issues in the loss, even noting his team "looked tired." He connected this fatigue to poor execution across the board. "All of a sudden, simple passes are harder, you don't get open, you don't win puck battles and you don't execute enough plays," Green explained. "We were just not good last night; we didn't have a lot of good players."
This loss followed another shaky outing, a 7-5 defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, raising concerns about the team's consistency as they head into a demanding schedule.
Focused on the Capitals and a Busy January
With the compressed NHL schedule in mind, Green opted for a meeting over a punishing skate. The focus now shifts entirely to the next challenge: hosting the Washington Capitals on Thursday, January 1st. This game will kick off a grueling 16-game schedule in January for the Senators, making a swift mental and tactical recovery paramount.
The message from the coaching staff is clear: the performance against Columbus was unacceptable. The Senators must now prove they have washed off the "stink" and are ready to compete at the level required to succeed in the new year.
