Ottawa Senators Ups and Downs: Week 1

It's the start of a new season, and that means minor changes, including the movement of Ups and Downs to Tuesdays this year! It'll hardly change a thing since the Senators almost never play on Mondays anyway.

Biggest gains: Erik Karlsson

It's a little ridiculous that Karlsson still has so many detractors in the league. If he needed to make a statement to start the season, he definitely did. Not only did he put up the points (five of them), but he also looked like a natural in Guy Boucher's system of speed and pressure. Too bad most people will still only remember him getting walked by Auston Matthews.

(Also considered: Guy Boucher, for implementing a system that has the Sens looking fast and dangerous, outshooting their opponents, and has Karlsson killing penalties)

Biggest losses: Andrew Hammond

Craig Anderson started the season looking kind of shaky, and you thought that with a good game or two, Hammond might be able to make a case for a platoon. So of course Hammond stunk up the joint in his first start of the season, and suddenly Joey Daccord can't make the NHL fast enough. (I kid, mostly.)

Goaltenders	Trend	Notes
Craig Anderson		The Sens won't win a lot of games in which he lets in 3-4 goals and can't track the puck
Andrew Hammond		See Biggest Losses
Defensemen
Mark Borowiecki		Different players get rated according to different standards, and Boro definitely exceeded his lowest-on-the-team expectations
Cody Ceci		Hasn't looked great, even earning himself a demotion against the Red Wings
Thomas Chabot		Hasn't got his first NHL game yet (but should tonight)
Erik Karlsson		See Biggest Gains
Marc Methot		He's been alright so far. I'd be pretty happy if he's no worse than this week all season
Dion Phaneuf		Not a great week defensively coupled with some dumb penalties against the Wings earns him a minus in my books
Chris Wideman		I thought he looked pretty bad against the Leafs, but he had two solid games after that, and finished the week with two primary assists
Forwards
Derick Brassard		That goal against the Leafs was a thing of beauty, eh?
Ryan Dzingel		Three points in three games? Definitely earned a roster spot with this week. Another strong candidate for Biggest Gains
Mike Hoffman		Somehow has no points, but still managed 12 shots on goal. The process leads to results eventually, right?
Chris Kelly		Plays safe, low-event hockey and kills penalties. The Sens are getting exactly what they wanted from this guy
Clarke MacArthur		Not sure what to hope for MacA: either for the cross to turn into a rating, or for him to be permanently removed from this list
Chris Neil		The only part of Neil's week I remember was a big hit in the first period of the first game, which means he had a pretty successful week
Jean-Gabriel Pageau		Got better as the week went on.
Matt Puempel		Got into one game, playing nine minutes (but only two minutes at even strength). Didn't notice him, but it's hard to get noticed in the minutes he's playing
Tom Pyatt		I was a little skeptical of him starting the year with the team, but a goal and some solid defensive work have me a little more convinced
Bobby Ryan		Got the start he needed, scoring the team's first goal and putting up an assist in the first game. Hopefully it's a sign of more to come
Zack Smith		Don't look now, but he has two points looking perfectly adequate picking up where he left off last season as a top-six winger
Mark Stone		Not quite back to where he was last season, but some great work to tie and win the game against Toronto gets him an up
Kyle Turris		I think Turris can do more, but scoring two goals in his first real NHL action since February is a positive step
Phil Varone		His pre-season quickness hasn't quite translated to the regular season yet, and a bad penalty against the Habs earned him a benching and then a healthy scratch. I'm sure he'll get another chance before being sent down though

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