Dorion backs Smith amid Sens' struggles: 'Coaching isn't an issue'
Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion gave a vote of confidence to head coach D.J. Smith on Tuesday, one day after the club suffered its eighth loss in nine games.
"Coaching isn't an issue. Not at all," Dorion said, according to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.
He added, "For me, it's the first time we've given D.J. a team that can compete for a possible playoff spot. So I think we've got to be patient there."
This marks the second time Dorion has come to his his bench boss' defense in the last week.
"D.J. is our coach," Dorion said last Monday, according to The Athletic's Ian Mendes. "He's going to be our coach. I have faith with how this team plays under D.J."
Smith took over behind Ottawa's bench for the 2019-20 season and has guided the club to an 86-113-25 record. The 45-year-old signed a two-year extension in 2021 with a team option for the 2024-25 campaign.
The Senators' current slump has dropped them to last place in the Atlantic Division and erased optimism following a 4-2 start to the season. Ottawa was a popular pick to qualify for the playoffs in 2022-23 after an electrifying offseason during which they landed Alex DeBrincat, Claude Giroux, and Cam Talbot while signing homegrown stars Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris to big-ticket extensions.
Ottawa's new-look roster has improved in several categories compared to last season, albeit in a small 15-game sample size, but it's still struggling to keep the puck out of its own net.
| 2021-22 | Stat | 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|
| 2.73 (26th) | Goals per game | 3.40 (9th) |
| 3.22 (22nd) | Goals against per game | 3.53 (26th) |
| 30 (21st) | Shots per game | 32.5 (10th) |
| 19.3 (20th) | Power play% | 23.2 (12th) |
| 80.3 (13th) | Penalty kill% | 76.8 (19th) |
| 46.69 (25th) | xGF% (5-on-5) | 50.7 (13th) |
| 7.68 (27th) | S% (5-on-5) | 8.81 (11th) |
| .917 (14th) | Sv% (5-on-5) | .918 (13th) |
(Stats source: Evolving Hockey)
The Senators are currently dealing with injuries to two top-four blue-liners in Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub, while Norris, the club's No. 1 center, could miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury sustained in October.
Ottawa's next chance to turn momentum around comes Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres.
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