Latest news with #Stützle
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why 2024-25 Was The Best Season Yet For Senators Centre Tim Stützle
Ottawa Senators centre Tim Stützle just enjoyed the best season of his NHL career. It might not look that way on the surface if you look at the back of his hockey card and compare his traditional statistics in 2024-25 against previous seasons. It is not that Timmy's 24 goals and 79 points in 82 games are modest. They represent the second-highest totals in his career, but Stützle's strides in his all-around game made him one of the most valuable forwards in the entire NHL last season. Bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa and never miss the latest Senators news, interviews, columns, features and more. Evolving-Hockey's 'wins above replacement' (WAR) metric attempts to quantify a player's total contribution as a single value, measured in wins, compared to what a replacement-level player would bring to a team. According to their proprietary WAR data, only three forwards this season posted a higher WAR than Tim Stützle's 3.8. These players are Leon Draisaitl (4.7), Connor McDavid (4.1), and David Pastrnak (3.9). WAR is obviously not an infallible metric. It is a calculated statistic that estimates how much more valuable a player is than a league-average player. In light of that, considering how elite those aforementioned players are, it is pretty good company that Stützle is keeping. HockeyViz's data corroborates Evolving-Hockey's data about Stützle's on-ice impacts, both offensively and defensively. When Juice is on the ice, great things happen for the Senators. The Senators struggled to produce results at five-on-five, but when Stützle was on the ice, the team did a significantly better job generating offensive chances and expected goals with him on the ice than off. Conversely, the same is true regarding the team's ability to suppress the opposition's offence when Stützle is on the ice. In speaking to reporters at his end-of-the-season availability, Stützle believed he made significant defensive improvements this season. "I think my two-way game and trying to be able to play better defensively," the Senators first line centre said. "There are still lots of improvements to be made. There are still lots of errors I can (improve), but I think the most improvements were in my defence game and decision-making." Using Evolving-Hockey's 'total defence' (DEF) metric that combines a player's contributions at five-on-five and while shorthanded into one encapsulating value, the 2024-25 campaign was far and away Stützle's best defensive season. In terms of defensive value created, the only other positive season he had was his sophomore 2021-22 season (0.8 DEF). During the 2024-25 season, he amassed a 4.1 DEF value, more than five times the value of that sophomore campaign. In fact, it was one of the best defensive seasons by a Senators forward in the modern analytics era - ranking amongst staunch defenders like Chris Kelly, Mark Stone, and Erik Condra. For the Senators to ascend the Eastern Conference standings and put themselves into the Stanley Cup contender discussion, they will need their young core's growth to continue. Stützle's ongoing evolution is an integral piece of that puzzle. One of the more impactful lessons of the Senators' first round is how important faceoffs can be. The Next Big Thing? A Glance At How Top Senators Prospect Carter Yakemchuk Fared This Season For Ottawa Senators fans, the sting of their team's first-round elimination is starting to fade. Soon, that disappointment will give way to excitement for the future, and much of that excitement centers around young NHL prospects. Across large sample sizes, there is no significant correlation between winning and losing draws. However, as the Leafs' success in the dot showed, they can be essential situationally. The Maple Leafs scored four goals in just 38 seconds of power-play ice time early in the series because of their ability to win draws cleanly and quickly gain puck possession. In the postseason, Stützle was the only centre on the Senators with a faceoff success rate higher than 50 percent. The Leafs dominance in this facet of the game, however, reinforced how it is an area that Stützle wants to improve upon. "Every single part of my game, I still want to improve, but I think faceoffs was a big point," the Senators centre acknowledged. "I don't even know what my percentage was years before, but it couldn't be too high. "Obviously, the coaching staff didn't trust me taking those responsible faceoffs. I want to be a guy who can take those faceoffs and be on the ice in those moments. (The coaches) showed me what I've got to do to (improve) and win more faceoffs. Obviously, you can't trust a guy whose faceoff percentage is 35 percent, and you have another guy whose faceoff percentage is 57. You're obviously taking the guy with 57. We have a lot of good faceoff guys on the team, so that motivates me to get better." Interestingly, another area where Stützle wanted to improve was on the offensive side of the puck. Given his skill set and near point-per-game production, it would be easy to believe that component would be the one he would be most comfortable with. That is not the case, as Tim explained. "In the offensive zone, knowing when to shoot and when to pass, I've struggled a little bit with that this year," he admitted. "I had a lot of scoring chances throughout games where I couldn't really capitalize. "Sometimes it's bounces, and sometimes it's just picking a better spot. I'm going to try and get better at that - just knowing when to shoot and picking my spots. That's really important, and it's going to help me continue to get better." The numbers corroborate Stützle's indecision. Although his five-on-five goals per 60 rate (G/60) was the third-highest of his career per NaturalStatTrick, many of Stützle's underlying rates plummeted. Stützle's Individual Five-on-five per 60 minutes of ice time rates: Shots on goal: 5.43 (lowest of career) Shots (iCF/60): 9.99 (lowest of career) Scoring chances (iSCF/60): 6.12 (lowest of career) High-danger chances (iHDCF/60): 2.64 (second-lowest of career) An emphasis on playing responsible defensive hockey without cheating for offence could certainly hamper those numbers, but it is fair to point out that in many instances this season, the Senators prioritized shot quality over quantity. After scoring 39 goals during the 2022-23 season, assuming he can flirt with that benchmark every year is unreasonable. That season, he combined his highest volume of shots (228) with his career-best shooting percentage (17.1) to produce his best offensive season. Stützle acknowledged dealing with some wrist injuries over the past few seasons when discussing faceoffs, so they probably negatively impacted his ability, or willingness, to shoot the puck. Despite the injuries, he is still a career 13.2 percent shooter, including a 14.8 percent success rate in 2024-25, so he can still fire it. Even if his future shooting percentages stay closer to his career norm, he can be more productive by playing more selfishly and shooting the puck more. Graeme NicholsThe Hockey News - Ottawa Bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa and never miss the latest Senators news, interviews, columns, features and more.
New York Times
17-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Inside Tim Stützle's push to become a two-way force for the Ottawa Senators
OTTAWA — Tim Stützle knows he needs to shoot the puck more. It's been a topic in comment sections, bar conversations, internet forums and social media posts. He's heard it from fans at the Canadian Tire Centre and even from housemate Fabian Zetterlund as he walked by Stützle's dressing room stall during a media scrum. Advertisement Last Sunday afternoon, he made it clear he got the message, making no mistake after receiving a stretch pass from teammate Thomas Chabot and scoring before converting a power-play goal in overtime to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers. 'Just give it to the German, right?' Chabot said. 'Just let him do his thing. Let him go, and he did. Just happy for him to see him have a night like this. He's just himself again, just skating, making plays, scoring goals. It's good for us coming in for the playoffs.' The German scored on both of his shots on goal against the Flyers, snapping an eight-game goal drought in the process. 'I think when I'm confident, I'm shooting more,' Stützle said after the overtime win. 'When I'm confident, I'm good at carrying the puck through the neutral zone. That's what I did (Sunday), and I've just got to keep building on that.' It's the right time for Stützle's confidence to return, with his first postseason game just days away. His shot is one part of an ultimate individual goal: becoming a complete, 200-foot player who can play against the league's best while also generating offence. 'If you look around the league at the teams who win,' Stützle said in December, 'their top centres, they play a 200-foot game. They play against the top guys every night. That's what I want to become. That's what I want to strive (for). I want to play against the best players.' Last summer, Senators head coach Travis Green flew to Mannheim, Germany to meet his star centre. Stützle and Green had a lengthy conversation about what it takes to play winning hockey and what the best centres do to achieve success. Green implored Stützle to become a player he could win with at both ends of the ice and affirmed Stützle was his team's best centre. When they parted ways, coach and player agreed to work toward the goal of turning Stützle into a 200-foot player. Advertisement 'First thing we talked about was, I'm never going to try to take away your offence,' Green said in November. 'I'm not going to try to stifle you. We need you to make plays. I'm going to give you that, but I'm also going to ask you to become the player that plays to win. I know he cares about winning. You're going to get a lot of points, I know that. I want to win more than you want to get points. But I think he's embraced that.' 'He expected me to be that guy who was able to play against everyone,' Stützle said. It meant Stützle had to commit more to the details that define the game's best centres, such as being strong on pucks, winning board battles, back-checking and defending the league's best players. It also meant changing his diet, so he hired a chef and a nutritionist in the offseason. All the effort has worked. 'Earlier on, and in years past, he's gone head-to-head with the league's best,' teammate Drake Batherson said. 'He can skate with anyone out there. He's a really competitive guy. He wouldn't be that fun to play against because he has the puck a lot on his stick, and he can hunt you down at the same time.' Stützle's underlying defensive metrics have improved, according to Evolving-Hockey, as he's posting the best defensive ratings of his career and ranks among the league's best in goals above replacement when considering his even-strength defence. His defensive rating is second-best on the Senators behind defenceman Jake Sanderson. Stützle's expected goals against rate has also improved, according to Natural Stat Trick, dropping from 55.55 percent last season to 44.33 percent this year. 'There's lots of little details that go into that position itself and he's still learning to play that position in that manner,' Green said. 'But he's come a long way. It's not like Timmy's a finished product. There's lots left in his game offensively. There's more defensive details that he's still going to grasp, but also the mindset.' Advertisement And just because Green wants Stützle to be better defensively, it doesn't mean he won't ask more of him on offence. Entering that Flyers game, Stützle's performance and confidence were trending downward, with just seven points in his last 17 games. Stützle revealed he had a chat with his head coach that 'fueled' his confidence. Green's message to Stützle? 'Play better,' Stützle said. OK, so it was a bit more elaborate than that. 'We talked about his game and where he's at,' Green said. 'He's a young player that's used to putting points on the board. Sometimes, when you're not scoring, you can go the wrong direction. At the end of the conversation, it was, more or less, play better.' Despite the calls for Stützle to shoot more, he's still playing through a successful season offensively — the second-best of his career, statistically speaking, to be exact. At one point this season, Stützle was flirting with the possibility of 100 points in a season. But a few lulls slowed him down. The two-goal game against the Flyers nudged his numbers to 23 goals and 75 points in 80 games this year as the team's scoring leader. 'He's always at a point per game,' Batherson said. 'I think he's doing just fine. I'm not going to give him any tips, he's a hell of a player.' Stützle will have the spotlight on him naturally as the team's best overall centre. But what does that mean for potential playoff matchups? The Senators have relied on Shane Pinto's line with Ridly Greig and Michael Amadio in recent games, and Pinto has even gone up against Auston Matthews with success. But there's no better time than the playoffs for Stützle to apply what he's learned and improved upon. 'He's done it all year,' Green said. 'He's going to do it in the playoffs. We obviously have different matchups at home and we try to get advantages, whether it's on the defensive side or the offensive side. But if you want to win in the NHL, you've got to play against the best players. He does it a lot. It's not going to be new for him. We have a lot of confidence in him and we'll have a lot of confidence heading into the playoffs.' Advertisement 'I think the older you get, you understand more what you have to do to win more games,' Stützle said. 'I think a big part of that was getting better defensively. I think I was always known for (being a) good offensive player. But I'm trying to be known as a good 200-foot guy, trying to get better at it every day.'
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Defensive Evolution Of Ottawa Senators Star Centre Tim Stützle
If the Ottawa Senators were ever going to take a marked step forward in their rebuild, the improvements would have to come from within. Management obviously felt obligated to address the goaltending position in the offseason by acquiring Linus Ullmark, but the majority of the offseason was spent focusing on identifying and acquiring players who were better fits. Michael Amadio, David Perron and Nick Jensen are fine players, but any evolution in becoming a sustainable winner within the Eastern Conference was predicated on the defensive growth of its youngest and most talented players. At the forefront of this evolution was Tim Stützle. The 23-year-old, German-born centre is unquestionably the team's most dynamic player. Every time he steps on the ice, his ability to skate and process the game at extremely high speeds allows him to take over shifts and tilt the ice in the Senators' favour. He may not wear a letter within the Senators' publicly displayed leadership structure, but there is no mistaking how essential it was to get Stützle's buy-in. Even without a letter, his ability to influence the actions and behaviours of his teammates speaks to how powerful of a position he is in. He recognizes his situation. "Our leadership group goes far beyond this group," Stützle said. "A lot of guys we have here, not just wearing letters, but also the guys behind this group. "We have done a great job, with everybody sticking together, whether it's good or bad. I always try to be a leader. I try to show it on the ice. Sometimes, I say things in the room, but obviously not as much. I bring my energy on the ice. I have worked a lot on my body language, too." It is a responsibility he does not take lightly. Stützle met with Travis Green several times over the offseason. The newly appointed head coach outlined his expectations for his franchise centre. "He told me what he expects from me," Stützle recalled while describing those conversations. "(His expectations) were a lot, but I expect a lot from myself, too. I want to get better every day and listen to what the (coaches) say." Throughout the offseason, Stützle's conversations with the well-decorated and respected veteran Claude Giroux resonated with him. "I talked to (Giroux) about it last year," Stützle said. "It doesn't really matter what system you play defensively or offensively. If everybody buys in and everybody's on the same page, you have a chance to win every night. "I really thought about that a lot because it makes a lot of sense. Whatever coach you have, maybe you disagree with (the staff's philosophies), but as long as everybody buys in with it and everybody does the same thing, you're not always on the winning side (every night), but most nights (you can win)." That buy-in was paramount and noticed immediately by the aforementioned Giroux. "When your top guys are doing the right things, other guys don't have a choice but to do so, too," explained Giroux. "It starts with him and Brady (Tkachuk). "He has bought into what we're trying to do. He's also one of our best players, and offensively, he's dynamic. He's fun to watch, but you can see (the defensive growth). He has taken a big step defensively, and he's a kid who wants to win. (His defensive effort and numbers) reflect that." The work began during the first week of training camp. "It is something we have harped on since Travis (Green) and the new staff (arrived)," Drake Batherson said while reflecting on the team's defensive improvements. "It came right from the first week or so of training camp. We did not do much offensive stuff. It was a lot of detailed defensive work." With Stützle, that work has continued on and off the ice. He acknowledged that a lot of time is spent watching and breaking down videos to identify areas or moments where he can improve. That video work is done with the coaching staff, but he is also quick to credit his teammates for developing a hardened mindset. "It's not just the coaches, it's the players," he said. "We push each other every day in practice. It's a lot of video, for sure, but (we spend time learning) how to win stick battles and puck battles. There's a lot of mindset involved in that, too. But the willingness to do it is the biggest part." There is a maturity in the way that Stützle speaks about his and his team's commitment to defence. "It obviously helps when everybody's on the same page, and everybody's doing things like backchecking," Stützle remarked. "It makes it easier for our defencemen and for our goalies. "They know where the puck is going if we all track the same way or come back together. As a centre, everybody looks at him as a defensive kind of guy, but when the wingers do a great job coming back, it makes everything easier. We have it this year that everybody's actually coming back; everybody's blocking shots. So, it's been a fun experience and really shows how our group has matured over the years." From a qualitative standpoint, it is impossible to watch the Senators play without noticing Stützle's efforts on the defensive end. There is a commitment to creating backpressure on the opposing puck carriers and working deep in the defensive zone to create turnovers and transition the puck out of harm. The numbers also reflect that this is Stützle's best defensive season. Using Evolving-Hockey's proprietary data and modelling, their 'Total Defence' statistic that captures a player's defensive contributions at five-on-five and while on the penalty kill and puts it into one value, the 2024-25 campaign has been Stützle's best defensive season. Looking at its 'Wins Above Replacement' (WAR) metric, Evolving-Hockey's data also believes the 2024-25 season is where he has accrued the most value - which is more impressive, considering the Senators still have 25 games left for him to add to his numbers. provides even more compelling visuals of how the Senators fare with Stützle on and off the ice. When Stützle is on the ice, the Senators produce offence at an above-average clip (+4%). They generate offence at a below-average rate (-6%) when he is off it. On the defensive side of the puck, the Senators are a relatively decent defensive team (-2%) when Stützle is off the ice, but they fare exceptionally well when he is on the ice (-13%). His teammates' 'With or Without You' (WOWY) numbers also reflect this phenomenon. When they play with Stützle, they benefit from the experience. Even looking at the Senators' five-on-five rate stats when Stützle is on the ice, NaturalStatTrick's data shows that the team is giving up far fewer shots (CA/60), shots on goal (SA/60), goals (GA/60) and expected goals (xGA/60) when the centre is on the ice. 2020-21: 60.06 CA/60, 34.95 SA/60, 3.59 GA/60, 2.70 xGA/60 2021-22: 56.05 CA/60, 30.87 SA/60, 2.79 GA/60, 2.60 xGA/60 2022-23: 56.29 CA/60, 30.63 SA/60, 3.32 GA/60, 2.74 xGA/60 2023-24: 59.73 CA/60, 31.39 SA/60, 3.40 GA/60, 2.82 xGA/60 2024-25: 53.68 CA/60, 25.71 SA/60, 2.54 GA/60, 2.12 xGA/60 Stützle's efforts are notable because his improved play has come while facing tough competition. "With Timmy, he's going to play either against the checking line or one of the top lines," Batherson described. "He is going to obviously be forced to play in our (defensive) zone for a bit, and he has done a great job of it - going head-to-head against some top lines and being able to shut those guys down while still producing (offensively). I know it has been a huge growth, and it has been fun to watch." The work is paying off. "I put a lot of time in it every day working on (defence)," Stützle admitted. "I just try and get better every day in practice. There's still a lot to improve, especially my defensive game, but in the end, I would rather play good defensively and try and (help the team) get as far as we can and hopefully make the playoffs. "As a group, if we all have 90 points and don't make the playoffs, (it sucks). It's fun scoring goals, but it's even better winning. We've competed really hard this year so far. Hopefully, we can keep it going." By Graeme NicholsThe Hockey News Ottawa Other recommended articles from THN Ottawa: Ottawa Senators Call Up Angus Crookshank: 'Any Day Where You Can Be In The NHL Is Always A Good One' One on One With Former Ottawa Senator Goalie Andrew Hammond Ten Years After The Hamburglar Run Gary Bettman Reduces Ryan Hartman's Suspension for Slamming Tim Stützle's Face Into The Ice
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Defensive Evolution Of Ottawa Senators Star Centre Tim Stützle
If the Ottawa Senators were ever going to take a marked step forward in their rebuild, the improvements would have to come from within. Management obviously felt obligated to address the goaltending position in the offseason by acquiring Linus Ullmark, but the majority of the offseason was spent focusing on identifying and acquiring players who were better fits. Michael Amadio, David Perron and Nick Jensen are fine players, but any evolution in becoming a sustainable winner within the Eastern Conference was predicated on the defensive growth of its youngest and most talented players. At the forefront of this evolution was Tim Stützle. The 23-year-old, German-born centre is unquestionably the team's most dynamic player. Every time he steps on the ice, his ability to skate and process the game at extremely high speeds allows him to take over shifts and tilt the ice in the Senators' favour. He may not wear a letter within the Senators' publicly displayed leadership structure, but there is no mistaking how essential it was to get Stützle's buy-in. Even without a letter, his ability to influence the actions and behaviours of his teammates speaks to how powerful of a position he is in. He recognizes his situation. "Our leadership group goes far beyond this group," Stützle said. "A lot of guys we have here, not just wearing letters, but also the guys behind this group. "We have done a great job, with everybody sticking together, whether it's good or bad. I always try to be a leader. I try to show it on the ice. Sometimes, I say things in the room, but obviously not as much. I bring my energy on the ice. I have worked a lot on my body language, too." It is a responsibility he does not take lightly. Stützle met with Travis Green several times over the offseason. The newly appointed head coach outlined his expectations for his franchise centre. "He told me what he expects from me," Stützle recalled while describing those conversations. "(His expectations) were a lot, but I expect a lot from myself, too. I want to get better every day and listen to what the (coaches) say." Throughout the offseason, Stützle's conversations with the well-decorated and respected veteran Claude Giroux resonated with him. "I talked to (Giroux) about it last year," Stützle said. "It doesn't really matter what system you play defensively or offensively. If everybody buys in and everybody's on the same page, you have a chance to win every night. "I really thought about that a lot because it makes a lot of sense. Whatever coach you have, maybe you disagree with (the staff's philosophies), but as long as everybody buys in with it and everybody does the same thing, you're not always on the winning side (every night), but most nights (you can win)." That buy-in was paramount and noticed immediately by the aforementioned Giroux. "When your top guys are doing the right things, other guys don't have a choice but to do so, too," explained Giroux. "It starts with him and Brady (Tkachuk). "He has bought into what we're trying to do. He's also one of our best players, and offensively, he's dynamic. He's fun to watch, but you can see (the defensive growth). He has taken a big step defensively, and he's a kid who wants to win. (His defensive effort and numbers) reflect that." The work began during the first week of training camp. "It is something we have harped on since Travis (Green) and the new staff (arrived)," Drake Batherson said while reflecting on the team's defensive improvements. "It came right from the first week or so of training camp. We did not do much offensive stuff. It was a lot of detailed defensive work." With Stützle, that work has continued on and off the ice. He acknowledged that a lot of time is spent watching and breaking down videos to identify areas or moments where he can improve. That video work is done with the coaching staff, but he is also quick to credit his teammates for developing a hardened mindset. "It's not just the coaches, it's the players," he said. "We push each other every day in practice. It's a lot of video, for sure, but (we spend time learning) how to win stick battles and puck battles. There's a lot of mindset involved in that, too. But the willingness to do it is the biggest part." There is a maturity in the way that Stützle speaks about his and his team's commitment to defence. "It obviously helps when everybody's on the same page, and everybody's doing things like backchecking," Stützle remarked. "It makes it easier for our defencemen and for our goalies. "They know where the puck is going if we all track the same way or come back together. As a centre, everybody looks at him as a defensive kind of guy, but when the wingers do a great job coming back, it makes everything easier. We have it this year that everybody's actually coming back; everybody's blocking shots. So, it's been a fun experience and really shows how our group has matured over the years." From a qualitative standpoint, it is impossible to watch the Senators play without noticing Stützle's efforts on the defensive end. There is a commitment to creating backpressure on the opposing puck carriers and working deep in the defensive zone to create turnovers and transition the puck out of harm. The numbers also reflect that this is Stützle's best defensive season. Using Evolving-Hockey's proprietary data and modelling, their 'Total Defence' statistic that captures a player's defensive contributions at five-on-five and while on the penalty kill and puts it into one value, the 2024-25 campaign has been Stützle's best defensive season. Looking at its 'Wins Above Replacement' (WAR) metric, Evolving-Hockey's data also believes the 2024-25 season is where he has accrued the most value - which is more impressive, considering the Senators still have 25 games left for him to add to his numbers. provides even more compelling visuals of how the Senators fare with Stützle on and off the ice. When Stützle is on the ice, the Senators produce offence at an above-average clip (+4%). They generate offence at a below-average rate (-6%) when he is off it. On the defensive side of the puck, the Senators are a relatively decent defensive team (-2%) when Stützle is off the ice, but they fare exceptionally well when he is on the ice (-13%). His teammates' 'With or Without You' (WOWY) numbers also reflect this phenomenon. When they play with Stützle, they benefit from the experience. Even looking at the Senators' five-on-five rate stats when Stützle is on the ice, NaturalStatTrick's data shows that the team is giving up far fewer shots (CA/60), shots on goal (SA/60), goals (GA/60) and expected goals (xGA/60) when the centre is on the ice. 2020-21: 60.06 CA/60, 34.95 SA/60, 3.59 GA/60, 2.70 xGA/60 2021-22: 56.05 CA/60, 30.87 SA/60, 2.79 GA/60, 2.60 xGA/60 2022-23: 56.29 CA/60, 30.63 SA/60, 3.32 GA/60, 2.74 xGA/60 2023-24: 59.73 CA/60, 31.39 SA/60, 3.40 GA/60, 2.82 xGA/60 2024-25: 53.68 CA/60, 25.71 SA/60, 2.54 GA/60, 2.12 xGA/60 Stützle's efforts are notable because his improved play has come while facing tough competition. "With Timmy, he's going to play either against the checking line or one of the top lines," Batherson described. "He is going to obviously be forced to play in our (defensive) zone for a bit, and he has done a great job of it - going head-to-head against some top lines and being able to shut those guys down while still producing (offensively). I know it has been a huge growth, and it has been fun to watch." The work is paying off. "I put a lot of time in it every day working on (defence)," Stützle admitted. "I just try and get better every day in practice. There's still a lot to improve, especially my defensive game, but in the end, I would rather play good defensively and try and (help the team) get as far as we can and hopefully make the playoffs. "As a group, if we all have 90 points and don't make the playoffs, (it sucks). It's fun scoring goals, but it's even better winning. We've competed really hard this year so far. Hopefully, we can keep it going." By Graeme NicholsThe Hockey News Ottawa Other recommended articles from THN Ottawa: Ottawa Senators Call Up Angus Crookshank: 'Any Day Where You Can Be In The NHL Is Always A Good One' One on One With Former Ottawa Senator Goalie Andrew Hammond Ten Years After The Hamburglar Run Gary Bettman Reduces Ryan Hartman's Suspension for Slamming Tim Stützle's Face Into The Ice
