Have the Senators hit rock bottom? That’s up to them to decide

The Ottawa Senators are at a crossroads.

They can let this mindnumbing year go down the tubes completely or the Senators can pick themselves up off the mat with a goal of trying to close this season with some level of respect.

Twenty games left in this depressing season and coming off a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night to extend their winless skid to seven straight, the Senators left the Golden State with one lousy point thanks to a 4-3 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

The Senators are now 0-13-1 outside the Eastern time zone and that’s a befuddling statistic. As the club made its way home on its Air Canada Jetz charter Sunday to prepare to host Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight, hopefully this group took some time for soulsearching.

This team has gone from being bad to worse. The Senators woke up 18 points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the final wildcard spot in the East, the club hasn’t won since a victory over the Vegas Golden Knights Feb. 24 at home and this season of hope has gone down the tubes.

To make the challenge even more difficult, the Senators will be without centre Josh Norris for the balance of the year with a shoulder injury.

Defencemen Thomas Chabot isn’t expected to be out long with a leg injury he suffered late in the club’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, but he’s another key element on the shelf. It’s the third time this year he’s missed an extended period.

Veteran blue-liner Travis Hamonic is week-to-week with undisclosed injury and even the club’s call-ups from its American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville have been hit with the injury bug after Matthew Highmore also left the game in Anaheim.

If it feels to you like this disheartening season for the Senators can’t end soon enough, you’re not alone on that front. There are times it’s looked that way on the ice and the first period in San Jose it appeared that the Senators had that mindset, as well.

Yes, the play picked up in the final 40 minutes and goaltender Magnus Chrona made 34 saves, but interim coach Jacques Martin noted that the Senators needed a better second effort in front of the net if they’re going to score goals.