Ottawa Senators looking to turn up the power on their power play

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The Ottawa Senators hope they’re taking steps ahead when they’ve got an extra player on the ice.

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While the Senators were trying to figure out a lot of things a season ago, there were bigger priorities than worrying about the power play. Now, figuring out how they can score more often when they’ve got the man advantage could make a big difference.

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You can’t pinpoint one problem with this team. Playing effectively 5-on-5 and keeping the puck out of their own net are also priorities, but … one thing at a time.

Going into Saturday’s home game against the New York Rangers, the Senators were sputtering along with a 15.8-per-cent power-play conversion rate, scoring 26 times on 165 opportunities. There were just eight of 31 other National Hockey League teams worse, with Chicago at the bottom at 12.6 per cent. Surprisingly, Pittsburgh with all its firepower, is second last at 13.2 per cent.

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In 2022-23, the Senators finished at 23.5 per cent (72-for-306) and were eighth best in the NHL.

Also concerning: Ottawa had scored multiple power-play goals in just four games this season after doing it 18 times a season ago.

The team’s penalty killing has gotten better (73.1 per cent), but still ranks 24th-best in the league. A year ago, Ottawa was middle of the pack at 80.1 per cent.

It’s all something interim head coach Jacques Martin has been focusing on.

“(Special teams) is an area that could help us win hockey games,” Martin said. “(The power play) is a work in progress. It’s not going to happen overnight. Hopefully, we can get some traction, get some confidence and simplify things. When you see the goals that are being scored every night (in the NHL), they’re not always fancy — screens, rebounds, tips. We have to acknowledge there are different ways of getting production.”

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THE SKILL OF IT ALL: The Senators will host their skills competition Sunday at Canadian Tire Centre, beginning at 1 p.m. The competition will see the team split into two squads — Team White captained by Brady Tkachuk versus Team Black captained by Thomas Chabot — going head to head in various events including the puck-control relay, fastest skater, hardest shot, accuracy shooting, skills challenge, shootout and a 3-on-3 competition. Doors to the arena open at 12 noon and there is no charge for parking.

Asked who had the hardest shot on the Senators, goalie Joonas Korpisalo answered: “Zack MacEwen, he’s got a great shot.” Asked who from around the NHL shoots the hardest, Korpisalo said: “The usual guys: (Alex) Ovechkin, (Steven) Stamkos … Every team has its own guys you have to be aware of.”

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Asked what he’s thinking about when a player breaks in alone, Korpisalo said: “What kind of speed does he have, his body movement, how is he shifting his weight … You always watch the puck (and the stick), then you try to pick up clues (as to what he’s going to do) from there.”

BREAK TIME: After the Senators’ game Tuesday in Detroit, they’ll begin a long all-star break vacation. Ottawa’s next game after the break will be Feb. 10 at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs. “The time will be well spent,” Martin said. “You appreciate it when you look at our schedule. December and January we’ve had 15 games each month and extended road trips. It’ll be a welcome break. But, before that, we have three games to look at. I like the direction we’re going.

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“We’re getting better at managing the game and the highs and lows. We’ve shown resiliency. We’ve been able to come back in games like against Philly, when we were down and didn’t panic (winning 5-3). The games against Boston and Winnipeg were good measuring sticks for our team. They’re teams that grind you. There have been a lot of good learning situations.”

CHANGING TIMES: Martin was asked if he had to treat players differently now than 20 years ago during his first tenure as Senators head coach. “The major change — in the older days, when a kid came in, the leadership group took care of him, they were hard on him,” Martin said. “Today, it’s different. Kids have been brought up a different way; they expect to be treated differently. It’s a sign of the times. You have to act accordingly as a person in a leadership role.

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“I don’t know if there’s a change in attitude. The new generation questions a lot more. They need more feedback, they need more reinforcement. The kids now are as good as the kids were 20 years ago. It’s just they’ve been brought up in a different environment. As a coach, you have to adjust.”

THE NUMBERS GAME: Going into Saturday’s game versus the Rangers, the Senators had put up 30 or more shots eight times while having outshot their opponent seven times over their previous 10 games. The last time they faced the Rangers, winning 6-2 on Dec. 5, the Senators outshot them 36-35. Twelve of the Senators’ 18 wins heading into Saturday had occurred when they’d outshot their opponents. Going into Saturday, the Senators had averaged 32.8 shots per game, eighth in the NHL. Brady Tkachuk led his team with 188 shots on goal, seventh-best in the league. Boston’s David Pastrnak led with 248 shots after getting eight more in Boston’s 6-2 win over Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon.

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