How time flies as the BSens are now at the 22-game mark (here are my comments on the first 10; the schedule made another 10-game segment awkward to do). We’ll start with a snapshot of the standings:
While the BSens winning percentage has barely moved, they’ve technically moved up the standings slightly (although their position via winning percentage is unchanged). The most recent segment: 5-4-3; going 4-2-0 in the division; PP 14.6% (-2.4%); PK 78.7% (-1.8%); GF 39 (+12); GA 42 (+12)–because this covers two extra games we’d expect more goals for/against, but in terms of per-game the team has gone from 2.7 to 3.25 and 3.0 to 3.5 (so both have increased unrelated to the extra games).
Game by Game
2-1 Cleveland (injured: Fizer, T. Boucher, Daoust, Saulnier; Sebrango)
4-6 Laval (injured: Fizer, T. Boucher, Daoust, Saulnier; Sebrango; in Ottawa: Sogaard, Larsson)
2-3 Manitoba (injured: Fizer, T. Boucher, Daoust, Saulnier; Sebrango)
1-8 Lehigh (injured: Fizer, T. Boucher, Daoust, Saulnier; Sebrango)
3-4 (OT) Hartford (Kleven, Larsson returned; Supryka released from PTO; PTO Orrin Centazzo; injured: Fizer, T. Boucher, Daoust, Saulnier, McPhee, Reinhardt; Sebrango)
2-4 Bridgeport (injured: Fizer, T. Boucher, Daoust, Saulnier, McPhee, Reinhardt; Sebrango)
6-3 Utica (Jarventie, Sogaard returned; Merilainen to ECHL; injured: Fizer, T. Boucher, Daoust, Saulnier, McPhee, Reinhardt; Sebrango)
2-3 Rochester (no changes)
4-2 Rochester (no changes)
5-2 Laval (Highmore, Reinhardt, Fizer back; Sogaard injured; Centazzo released; Sebrango loaned to ECHL)
5-2 Grand Rapids (Smejkal to Ottawa; Merilainen recalled)
3-4 (OT) Grand Rapids (Sogaard back from injury)
Individual Performances
I’ve marked those significantly above/below their career averages (cf, where appropriate); @=veteran, *=rookie, #AHL-contract, %=PTO, italics=drafted player. The NHL tallies are year-to-date rather than segment-related.
Forwards
Crookshank 12-7-6-13 (22-9-10-19)
@Pilon 12-5-6-11 (20-8-8-16)
%M. Boucher 12-2-7-9 (14-2-7-9)
Jarventie 6-3-4-7 (12-4-6-10) NHL: 7-0-1-1 TOI 7:31
*Smejkal 10-2-4-6 (17-3-6-9) NHL: 2-0-0-0 TOI 6:51
Sokolov 12-4-2-6 (22-6-6-12)
@Imama 10-1-4-5 (17-1-5-6)
Reinhardt 6-0-3-3 (16-2-6-8)
%Lukosevicius 11-2-1-3 (12-2-1-3)
@Currie 11-1-2-3 (18-2-4-6)
%Betts 11-0-3-3 (12-0-3-3)
*Ostapchuk 12-3-0-3 (22-5-2-7)
@Highmore 3-0-1-1 (12-2-6-8) NHL: 6-0-1-1 TOI 7:59
*#Fizer 3-0-1-1 (11-0-1-1)
%Centazzo 4-1-0-1 [no longer on the roster]
#McPhee 5-1-0-1 (12-2-0-2)
(@MacEwen 4-2-0-2) NHL: 10-0-1-1 TOI 4:45
(#Saulnier 9-1-1-2)
(Daoust 4-0-2-2)
The biggest surprise are Sokolov‘s struggles. I think he’ll snap out of it as he’s well below his career average (0.79 coming into the season, he’s at just 0.54 right now). The other notable is veteran signee Currie, whose struggles are to the point where I have to assume the team wants to move him (there were signs of a decline when he was in KHL). On the positive side, Crookshank is starting to look like the form he had when he broke into the league and M. Boucher is enjoying the most success he’s had at this level as a pro (although that’s probably not sustainable). One trivial note I want to make is that Betts has tripled his prior production last season with the BSens (however anemic that still remains).
Defense
Guenette 12-2-7-9 (22-3-14-17)
Thomson 12-2-3-5 (22-3-5-8)
*Matinpalo 12-1-2-3 (17-2-2-4) NHL 4-0-0-0 TOI 7:00
@Heatherington 12-1-2-3 (21-2-2-4)
*Kleven 6-1-1-2 (10-1-3-4) NHL 5-0-1-1 11:01
@Larsson 9-0-2-2 (18-2-2-4)
#MacKinnon 9-0-2-2 (15-0-3-3)
JBD 2-0-0-0 NHL 18-1-3-4 TOI 16:50
%Supryka 3-0-0-0 (7-0-0-0) [no longer on the roster]
Sebrango [ECHL 4-1-1-2]
Guenette has managed to maintain his hot pace and is the primary offensive driver from the blueline. Thomson is gradually moving back to his usual pace production (0.30->0.41, with 0.59 being the norm), but other than perhaps Kleven the team (as predicted) struggles to generate offense from the back end. It also looks like it will be safe to remove JBD from this list next time as he seems locked in Ottawa.
Goaltenders
Sogaard 1-0-2 (5-3-2 .922 2.51)
*Merilainen 2-3-0 [ECHL 1-1-0] (3-3-1 .901 3.41)
Mandolese 2-1-1 [ECHL 0-1-0] (2-2-1 .889 3.80)
#Sinclair [ECHL 3-4-0]
I mentioned prior to the season that Mandolese is consistently inconsistent and this persists. Merilainen experienced his first bumps as an AHL-pro, but that shouldn’t cause concern and in the ECHL he’s been by far the best goaltender. Sogaard has remained excellent and seems to be back on form after an inconsistent 2022-23.
Powerplay Production (6 goals)
Sokolov 3-1-4 (5-3-8)
Crookshank 1-2-3 (1-4-5)
Guenette 0-3-3 (1-7-8)
Jarventie 0-2-2 (1-2-3)
Smejkal 1-0-0 (2-1-3)
Ostapchuk 1-0-1
Reinhardt 0-1-1 (1-1-2)
Matinpalo 0-1-1 (1-1-2)
(Highmore 1-3-4)
(Thomson 0-2-2)
(Currie 0-1-1)
(Pilon 0-1-1)
The BSens are still figuring out their powerplay as only Guenette and Sokolov are producing consistently. Special teams in general have been poor and I feel like are among the indicators of coaching impact, but there’s still time for things to solidify and improve.
This article was written by Peter Levi
eyeonthesens 