GARRIOCH: Hitting bottom two weeks ago was a wake-up call for the Ottawa Senators

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What a difference two weeks make.

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Exactly 14 days ago, the Ottawa Senators woke up in a mist at their Raleigh hotel after a terrible 6-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks less than 24 hours earlier at home and gathered in a ballroom to discuss. Finding answers to righted the boat after an ugly 1-10-1 record in the month of November.

Coach DJ Smith decided to dispense with the usual staff video, while captain Brady Tkachuk and alternate captain Thomas Chabot led the charge at a team meeting to discuss why the club’s game had gone so bad and what it would take to make it happen. Senators made improvements. .

It may turn out to be a seminal moment if senators can somehow get back into the mix for a playoff spot by the time the Olympic recess in February is tentatively scheduled to begin.

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“Just the timing of that (Vancouver game) and the amount of losses we had, it felt like the bottom line,” Smith told reporters in Tampa on Wednesday. “Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to figure out what you have to do to get out of it.

“Sports are fun; when you’re confident it’s great and when you’re not, everything seems to go wrong. Right now, things are going well and we have to manage it. There are a lot of games left here and we have to keep calm. “

The Senators just seem like a different team and the mood has changed. The club edged the Bolts and Panthers, two of the NHL’s top teams, 12-2 in the last two games.

“It’s a lot more fun coming to the court when you’re winning,” said center Josh Norris, who has six goals in the last six games after a three-point effort at Florida. “Everyone is collectively playing very well and I think you can see the chemistry we have as a team right now.

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“All four lines and six defenders, they’re all on the same page right now, we know what we have to do every night and it’s easy when it’s predictable.”

After an 8-2 win over the Florida Panthers Tuesday night in Sunrise, the Senators were still tied for 15th in the East with the New York Islanders, but they got into Wednesday night’s action 10 points. behind the Columbus Blue Jackets, who were sitting in the last wild-card spot in the conference.

As the Senators prepare to face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday at Amalie Arena, the club has won five of its last six and, judging by lines posted by legendary Ottawa announcer Dean Brown, on Wednesday’s skate , not be any change.

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Smith told reporters in Tampa that the club will release its lineup on Thursday, but if it isn’t broken, there is no need to fix it. This is the same group that scored a 4-0 win over two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Bolts at home last Saturday, so there really shouldn’t be any discussion.

“We know how we have to play to be successful,” Smith said. “In the last game, I think we caught a flat team and everything happened to get in. But each line is playing at the height of its identity, each pair and the special teams. When you win the special teams, you have a chance to win.

“It’s good to see that the guys have smiles on their faces. They are young, impressionable guys, and when you lose they wear it a little more and when you win they wear it a little more. We just have to be careful and stay calm. “

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One area in which senators have taken an important step is the death penalty. The club have not conceded a goal with the men’s lead since a 6-5 win over the Colorado Avalanche on December 5 at home. Ottawa has killed 14 consecutive power play opportunities and had little effort against the Panthers.

“We’ve been working a lot on that,” winger Nick Paul said. “For the penalty to be great and to really eliminate some penalties it is really very necessary and it means everything. The Carnage has been doing a very good job and we have really focused on it.

“It was a good turning point for our game.”

Naturally, the appearance of goalkeeper Anton Forsberg has helped the Senators head in the right direction by making the key saves. The senators weren’t at their best in the second period Tuesday and Forsberg held them back for their fifth straight victory.

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He made 33 saves against the Panthers and 13 of them came in the second period when the Senators were able to take control of the game by taking a 4-2 lead. This game is all about getting saves, and if you don’t get them, it can be an uphill battle, as we’ve seen here in the past.

“It was incredible,” said Paul. “It is more difficult for the goalkeepers. The big saves they make to keep us in the games sometimes go unnoticed, and sometimes they aren’t the best, but they are solid. He has been consistent and we can trust him. He’s been playing amazing and he’s been the backbone for us right now. “

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Twitter: @sungarrioch