How the Senators became one of the best defensive teams in the NHL

After seven consecutive years without playoffs, something had to give for the Ottawa Senators .

The offensive talent was always budding with their forward core, but the goaltending and defence needed to be better.

Now, 56 games into the 2024-25 season, these Senators are wading through uncharted waters.

Their core pieces had never flirted with a top-three division spot until now.

Dom Luszczyszyns model says they have a 72 percent chance of making the postseason.

Advertisement A big reason why is players such as Senators captain Brady Tkachuk have committed to improved play at the defensive end after years of futility.

And theyre not shy about it.

I just think it comes to the base that were sick and tired of losing, Tkachuk said.

I feel like thats always been our deficiency is our defensive side of things, and maybe just our mindset defensively.

I think its shown this year that weve taken a lot of pride on that side of things and good defence leads to good offence.

Since Tkachuks first full season in 2018-19, hes never known a year in which the Senators were top 10 in defence.

In more seasons than not since he joined the team, the Senators have been bottom 10 in expected goals against at five-on-five.

The last time Ottawa ended the year in the top 10 was back in 2016-17 , which coincides with its last playoff berth.

But that may change at this rate, with the teams expected goal suppression sitting sixth in the league at the 4 Nations break.

Senators head coach Travis Green has gotten his players to buy into their tactics, whether at five-on-five or on the penalty kill, implementing a defence that keeps offences out of the blue paint and keeps oncoming rushes at bay.

It has even worked effectively against teams such as the Minnesota Wild , one of the leagues best road teams and nearly equal to Ottawa in defensive strength, who got blown out 6-0 at Canadian Tire Centre earlier this month.

Every coach has a similar way of (coaching) D-zone, defensive side of things, Tkachuk said.

But I think where they differentiate is just how they say it.

Whats kind of clicked for me is theres marks on the ice where, as a winger, I need to be.

Staying on the inside and always try to be inside the dot defensively.

If youre there, whether its strong side, weak side, then youre in a good position to play defence.

Advertisement That communication seems to be agreeing with Tkachuk, who has had a positive impact on the Senators five-on-five expected goal suppression relative to his teammates for just the second time in his career.

The team has only given up a career-low 2.24 expected goals per 60 in his minutes (and 2.48 goals per 60) despite having to match up to the opponents best offensive threats at times.

Having their forwards buy-in is key, considering some of the Senators struggles up front in seasons past.

But most importantly, their blueliners are thriving under the teams new mentality.

That starts with their top pair, Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub .

Among pairs with at least 100 minutes of five-on-five action together, their stout 1.85 expected goals against per 60 ranks 18th in the league.

Their workload makes it all the more impressive since the Senators tasked this duo with playing matchup minutes against the leagues best offensive competition.

Sandersons puck-moving gives this duo a bit more dimension.

Together, theyre rocking a 56 percent expected goal rate because they help thread the needle offensively.

Sandersons premier puck-moving ability has a lot to do with it; his ability to break out with control is among the best in the league this year.

His commitment to defence, while contributing offensively, even earned him a very late call to Team USA at this years 4 Nations Face-Off.

On the second pair, Thomas Chabot is an offensive-minded puck-moving defenceman who sometimes makes defensive mistakes.

He is a bit more high-risk when it comes to retrieving and breaking out pucks, so it makes sense that the coaches arent burdening him with the toughest workload.

Nick Jensen has helped him clean up some of his defensive metrics; the duo is just above break-even in expected goals in almost 700 five-on-five minutes together.

Finally, as the Senators have dealt with injuries at the back end, some of their youth have emerged as viable, playable options.

Tyler Kleven has been an everyday No.

5 defenceman skating with either Travis Hamonic , Jacob Bernard-Docker or Nikolas Matinpalo , who adds some puck-moving ability to the third pair.

He has had a positive impact on the Senators expected and actual goals against in sheltered minutes.

Speaking of Matinpalo, he has come out of nowhere as a suitable injury replacement and has turned his limited NHL time into a roster spot with Finland at the 4 Nations also as an injury replacement.

Advertisement So, how does this defence work? We begin in their zone.

The Senators lock down opponents through a layered-zone defensive system, a departure from the man-to-man defence teams once used.

The Senators positioning helps them limit space for the offence while stifling passing lanes and keeping opposing players along the perimeter.

According to data tracked by Corey Sznajder at All Three Zones, the Senators only allow 2.32 per 60 high-danger passes against, which is the second lowest in the league to Minnesota.

They can skate around the outside all they want, Kleven said.

But as long as the goalie can see the puck at all times, we have all the trust in the world in those guys right now.

Theyre going to make the saves when we need them.

The skill level and the speed of the guys now is so high and the speed is so quick, that guys can make those moves really, really fast and really efficiently in the corner, Hamonic said.

Long (gone) are the days now where you can go in and take your time getting there and try to cut zones.

You have to be right on top of your guy.

Quick and physical.

If a defender gets beat, theres often a player in support behind them who can help limit space and keep an offence from entering the middle of the ice.

If youre in the corner with the puck and Im eliminating you, its not every day that you can eliminate the guy and get the puck and make the play, Hamonic said.

So, you need a second guy in there, right? And most of the time you want a defenceman in front of the net.

So, its going to be the centreman or the low forward thats there.

Teams such as the Vegas Golden Knights have used this system successfully .

It made for an easier transition for Senators forward Michael Amadio who played with Vegas for three seasons before joining Ottawa.

Amadio understands the big key to their zonal structure.

GO DEEPER NHL copycats: Why are teams ditching man-to-man for zone defense and is it working? Just making sure that we protect the high-danger areas, Amadio said.

The middle of the ice, make sure (were) pushing shots to the outside.

Making sure were in those lanes to block shots.

And then when we can be aggressive, to get the puck back and get it out.

The Senators rush defence has also played a role in their success, stifling teams when they try to use speed to enter their zone.

That starts with the top pair, with Zub and Sanderson emerging as aggressive blue-line defenders.

Opponents manage to get past Zub with a carry-in less than 44 percent of the time, which stacks up to players such as Brett Pesce , Shea Theodore and MacKenzie Weegar .

Sanderson, on the other hand, has earned a zone entry denial rate of 16.8 percent, which stands out leaguewide, too.

Advertisement I think it kind of starts in the offensive zone, actually, Hamonic said.

Its kind of a five-man unit.

I think (Green) and I assume every coach in the league, or at least I would hope, would preach having a third guy high, an F3.

At that point, that allows the D to keep a good gap, right? So, its kind of like your defensive structure really starts on the offensive blue line.

And once teams cant seamlessly enter the zone, theyre left to dump and chase into the offensive zone.

And then part of your defensive structure at that point is to be able to break the puck out and work in units of five.

Its not so much just two D-men back there anymore.

A lot of times, you watch the games, theres a lot of forwards overlapping, D staying up, and a forward going back for the puck.

So its kind of like a five-man group back there to really break out the puck.

I guess six if the goalie can move it too.

Thats an area Sanderson also leads, with his ability to retrieve pucks and exit the zone with control.

Between Chabot and Kleven, each pair has a defender who can help regain control and break out with possession.

The coaches didnt just change the teams defensive structure at even strength, their adjustments extend to short-handed situations.

The Senators now use a diamond formation on the penalty kill, with a forward high up on the blue line, one defenceman in front of the net and two players along the flanks.

Ottawa used the trap-down system last year, where a forward near the blue line pressures an opposing forward to make a pass before that forward, alongside his teammates, pressures the pass recipient into a mistake.

The learning curve for the diamond has taken a bit longer to adapt to the Senators PK ranks 20th in the league in efficiency and ranks in the bottom half of the league in shot quality against.

But the Senators say theyve adapted to it better now than they did in the regular season.

Once you learn to be and when you can be aggressive, it kind of forces the other team to get the puck out of their hands a lot quicker.

So its pretty effective, Amadio said.

Its a copycat league, Shane Pinto said.

You look at all the better PKs in the league, theyre starting to run the diamond.

Advertisement The big question is whether the Senators can keep building on this defensive identity, all the way into the postseason.

The team entered the 4 Nations break on a three-game slide, allowing 14 goals in their last three games, all against Tampa Bay and Florida .

That last game against the Panthers was especially concerning in the defensive department.

The team is depleted with injuries, with both Pinto and Josh Norris sidelined.

And Linus Ullmark had to shake off some rust after a lengthy injury spell.

So ideally, most of the roster having time to heal will help out of the break.

But even if reinforcements return, there is still one more hurdle.

The teams defensive success is seemingly coming at the expense of their offense.

Ottawa ranks 30th in the league, with just 1.95 five-on-five goals per 60 this season.

A league-low 6.74 percent shooting percentage has a lot to do with it, but the team still isnt generating a lot of offence behind that, either.

As long as the Senators defence holds true, their players are happily trading away offence for success.

Its a commitment to yourself, Chabot said.

Its looking at yourself in the mirror and really wanting to push aside you getting whatever, 30 goals or more points.

Or 10-15 more points or less points.

Its the commitment of being ready to do that and move to the side your individual success for the team, and win more games.

All statistics from NHL.com, HockeyViz, Evolving-Hockey , Hockey Stat Cards and All Three Zones .

(Top photo of Jake Sanderson and Nick Robertson: Andre Ringuette / NHLI via Getty Images).

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