Did the absence of Milan Michalek make a difference? Did the loss of Jesse Winchester and Filip Kuba contribute? I don't think so. The truth is the Senators played poorly on the offensive and have hit the skids.



Passes were awful all around, which denied a lot of the transition, and required settling the puck before firing on net, granting way too much time for the Florida Panthers to adapt. Erik Karlsson, for one, was dismal after having a great game in Washington. Turnovers led to goals, and Elliott was lukewarm at best. The only good thing that can be said is that the PK rocked, pretty good for 15th in the league.

The Sens will have to re-adjust their lines once again while we wait to see the severity of Winchester and Kuba's injuries. It doesn't bode too well for the Sens who have to get back to a basic game of sounds pass-in, dump and forecheck. Nothing pretty, just effective.