The Ottawa Senators hired Jacques Martin to be a senior advisor for the coaching staff on Dec. 6. Just 12 days later, head coach DJ Smith was fired and Martin was named interim head coach. This was a long-awaited move and that brought a new sense of hope. With the way the Senators have learned, developed, and performed, sticking with Martin for the rest of the season is in their best interest.
Related: Evaluating Jacques Martin’s First 10 Games as Senators Coach
His first stretch of games didn’t go well. Joining the Senators behind the bench after a four-game losing streak, which extended to six under Martin, was a tough way to enter the position. Through his first 11 games, the Senators managed just three wins, but things have looked better since then. They have a 4-1-2 record in their last seven games and seem to be embracing Martin’s style.
Still Unlearning Smith’s Systems
Most of the roster had only ever played under Smith, with so many of their draft picks now in the lineup, including Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and Jake Sanderson, among others. They only know how to play in the NHL under the systems Smith taught them. During the rebuild, Smith’s style was fine. The Senators were hard to play against; they were underdogs who annoyed opponents. Unfortunately, this system didn’t teach them how to win. Four straight losing seasons under Smith created a losing culture and they were unable to progress with a developed roster.
Martin now has his hands full teaching a roster that is used to losing how to win hockey games. He embraced a similar situation over two decades ago with the Senators, and while he isn’t expected to be the long-term fix, his job now is to lay the foundation so they can be coached properly in the future.
Sure, the results over the last seven games are great, but even with some of the losses prior to this stretch, there were noticeable improvements. Martin said he wanted to work on the neutral zone coverage. The team showed improvement in that area very quickly. Under Smith, they backed off and had defensive zone coverage on their mind. Now, they are aggressive in the neutral zone and aren’t afraid to make a smart pinch to prevent a zone entry.
The penalty kill has become more aggressive, the team is leaning away from the dump-and-chase methods they were accustomed to, and their results are starting to be impacted by these changes.
The only area Martin has taken a step back in is the power play. The players are doing too much passing and not taking the opportunity to get pucks on net. Everything is a process, and with Daniel Alfredsson taking his first crack behind the bench and being responsible for the power play, it is fair to give some leeway, but the inefficient power play can’t last much longer.
Steve Staios Agrees
During the mid-season press conference, general manager Steve Staois was asked about the future of the Senators’ bench. He said he was very happy with the work that Martin (along with other changes to the coaching staff) has done so far. He also said that the process to find a new coach is ongoing and will likely be decided in the offseason.
There are plenty of names out there, and while it’s ideal to have a permanent coach as early as possible, the Senators need stability right now. As Staios mentioned, with Thomas Chabot missing time, Josh Norris’ injuries, and Shane Pinto’s suspension, the team needs to level out and play as a team for a bit. On top of the players missing from the lineup, the Senators have a new owner, a new general manager, and almost an entirely new coaching staff. Let the waves settle so they can finally fix their on-ice product and stick with Martin.
Players Thriving Under Martin
Under Martin, some players have started to play well. Stutzle‘s offensive game hasn’t improved when looking at the totals since the change, but since the team has started showing results, so has he. Stutzle has 11 points in the last seven games. When the coaching change first happened, morale was down and so was production from the whole team. Since Martin’s system has been introduced and the players understand the impacts it can make, they have been doing much better.
Parker Kelly is another player who is doing well under Martin. Since the coaching change, he has earned more trust and ice time, which has resulted in better defensive play and a more physical game, plus he has been producing, scoring six of his ten points on the season since the coaching change.
Up and down the lineup, the Senators look better. The team defense, structured offense, and even the goaltending is making improvements behind the team with this play. The playoffs are a long shot, but if the Senators can bring themselves back into the race and finish close to a playoff spot, that is a success. If there is any chance to finish strong, it will have to be with Martin.