‘Players come to us all the time wanting ice time and opportunity’
Wiercioch came into the season on a high, following an outstanding second half to the 2014-15 season and after playing for Canada’s gold medal winning world championship team, but he has struggled, particularly in his own end, taking steps back.
“He went to the worlds and played so well and has come back and played spotty,” Murray said. “When he has the puck, he’s really good. Without the puck, he is what he was at the start of last year.
“Players come to us all the time wanting ice time and opportunity and we try to give it to them. If they don’t take advantage of it, then you have to do something about it.”
Either Wiercioch or Cowen is expected to sit out Wednesday against Columbus, meaning that Chris Wideman will remain as part of the top six. Wideman, who has earned Murray’s praise, has scored three goals in his past four games and has held his own defensively.
Cowen took the Murray criticism in stride.
“He probably says that about everyone, so it’s not too big of a deal,” said Cowen, who practised Wednesday for the first time since blocking a shot in a Nov. 12 game against Vancouver. “If you think too much about what they’re telling you to do, you can overthink things. I have to keep progressing on my game and do the small things.”
A deal to improve the defensive depth — Murray says he’s satisfied with the work of Erik Karlsson, Marc Methot, Cody Ceci and Mark Borowiecki — is always a possibility, but not a probability.
For all the trade talk among NHL general managers, Murray says it’s difficult to pull deals off because most teams have either salary cap or internal budget concerns.
“We’re always looking for an upgrade if that’s possible,” he said. “Obviously, we’re not totally happy with the way the team is playing. Standing-wise, we’re OK, but we just think we should be playing a better game. We find ourselves scrambling, some nights, so much in our own end. It shouldn’t be that hard on us.”
The Senators are in a playoff spot thanks to playing in the Atlantic Division, the NHL’s weakest.
Echoing the comments from coach Dave Cameron earlier in the week, Murray is disturbed by an occasional drop in enthusiasm.
“Our expectations are higher than playing around the .500 level,” he said. “I think our team is better than that. It looks to me, talent wise, that we can match up against a lot of the good teams.”
As is usually the case, though, he says winning a few games in a row could quickly erase some of the doubts.
“I don’t think there’s anything drastic that needs to be done,” he said. “We just need to play a better, a little more focused for 60 minutes. Those are the things that have to be corrected.”