Just breathe, Senators fans, as disappointing season draws to close

On the heels of one of the most sensational late-season playoff rallies in NHL history, much was expected from the Ottawa Senators in 2015-16 — at the very least, a return to the post-season. Hardcore fans in the capital had visions of even greater success.

Indeed, after their remarkable 21-3-3 run to make the playoffs last year, the Senators were arguably only a PK Subban slash away from upsetting the Montreal Canadiens in the opening round.

So with a new contract in hand for head coach Dave Cameron and the bulk of last year's team returning, what could go wrong?

• RECAP: Senators eliminated from playoffs despite win over Jets

The season started off as expected with wins over Buffalo and Toronto, but then the Matt O'Connor start at home — a loss to Montreal made infamous by Eugene Melnyk's rant last week — followed up by a sloppy win in Columbus and then four straight losses, including three at Canadian Tire Centre, and it soon became clear that this was not going to be as easy as some were expecting.

So ... what happened?

Ask the players, the coaches, even the owner — no one seems to know exactly what went wrong.

Despite losing key players like Clarke MacArthur and Kyle Turris, it wasn't a disastrous year for injuries. Craig Anderson's goaltending has been outstanding most nights and even captain Erik Karlsson is having another Norris Trophy-caliber season.

But the stats don't lie and the Senators were dismal in some key areas this year. That cost them points night after night.

Their defensive play — especially in their own end — reverted to the circus act we saw before Paul MacLean was fired midway through 2015.

The Senators allowed more shots on goal per game (33) than any team in the league, and even solid goaltending couldn't mask that. The Sens have the third-worst goals against average in the NHL, ahead of only Calgary and Columbus.

Their special teams have been a nightmare. A seemingly star-studded power play with the likes of Karlsson, Hoffman, Ryan and Stone can't find a way to get shots to the net and is ranked 28th in the league, one spot ahead of its penalty kill, whose 75 per cent efficiency rating leaves fans pining for Erik Condra's return.

Add to that big-time fall back years for Patrick Wiercioch and Andrew Hammond, prolonged slumps by Mike Hoffman, Bobby Ryan and Kyle Turris, and slower-than-expected progress from Mika Zibanejad, Curtis Lazar and Alex Chiasson, and the result is a sub-500 season, putting the team out of the playoffs for only the fourth time since 1996.

What's next?

When owner Eugene Melnyk gathered the media on March 22 to solicit articles of sports memorabilia for the team's upcoming 25th anniversary celebration, he was really using the occasion as a front to unload on his underachieving team.

He promised major changes for next season and singled out the coaching staff for making decisions that hurt the team. It's hard to imagine Dave Cameron and his colleagues coming back.

General manager Bryan Murray, on the other hand, has a job if he wants it, according to Melnyk.

But does he? Murray continues to undergo chemotherapy to treat Stage 4 cancer and has yet to confirm whether he will return for another season. He told CBC he had his eye on an advisory role with the organization after his current contract expires.

As for player moves, departures could range from minor — think Wiercioch, Chiasson, Gomez — to major transactions involving Hoffman, Zibanejad or Ryan. 

Worst season ever?

Despite a slump in the middle, Mark Stone has proved his worth. Erik Karlsson continues to dominate, though many still question his abilities as a leader. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Masterton Trophy nominee Zack Smith had really good years, and Cody Ceci continues to develop into a solid top-four defenceman.

With the addition of Dion Phaneuf on the blue line, Clarke MacArthur and Kyle Turris returning from injury, and the possible addition of highly-regarded prospects Colin White and Thomas Chabot, the Senators, with the proper off-season tweaking by management, should be back in contention for a playoff spot come this time next year.

And as for this being "the most disappointing season ever," as suggested to me by a fan recently — not by a long shot.

Think back to Ricard Persson on Tie Domi in 2002, or Joe Niewendyk on Patrick Lalime in 2004, and just breathe.