Game Changers: Five Positive Developments for the Senators This Season That Were Unexpected
The Ottawa Senators missed the playoffs by just six points despite having a lot of injuries this season.
But they also need to take into account the pleasantly unexpected things that occurred this season when they evaluate who they are.
Since the Senators have missed the playoffs for six consecutive years, much of the postseason conversation has focused on efforts at justification and "What ifs?"
What if the Senators' injuries weren't as numerous? What if their goaltending had been more reliable? Suppose they received a few more bounces.
But it's easy to ignore all the nice shocks, like holing out that 45-foot chip shot on hole 12. It's similar to a golfer who believes that a few
missed putts were all that prevented him from breaking 80.
This season, the Ottawa Senators also had a lot of unusually fortunate events.
The Sens' lucky breaks also can't be disregarded or taken for granted when assessing their overall performance or what they'll likely be like next season,
as some of them might have even partially offset the bad luck they believe prevented them from making the playoffs.