Sens' Smith: Some players might be taking their roster spot for granted

Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith isn't happy with some of his players, and he threatened to change the lineup after the Vancouver Canucks routed the club 7-1 on Monday.

"We got some guys that maybe are taken for granted positions in the NHL and we've got to find the right combination," Smith said following the team's fifth straight loss, according to TSN's Brent Wallace.

"And we've got to give some other guys some opportunity to see if they want to play a little harder than some of the guys that are playing now," he added.

The Canucks didn't need their loaded power play in the win while scoring six of the team's seven goals at even strength and one while shorthanded.

Netminder Matt Murray logged his first forgettable start of the season, allowing seven goals for just the second time in his career, and the first since his sophomore campaign in 2016-17.

Smith said he thought about pulling Murray in the second period, but the bench boss decided to let his goaltender ride out the tough loss.

"He's got to find a way to work through it," Smith said, according to Wallace. "He certainly didn't have a very good game but, you know what, he's got to find a way to work through it and battle for us."

The Senators fell to 1-4-1 with the loss and are last in the North division. The two sides meet twice more this week, with back-to-back contests Wednesday and Thursday to close out the three-game set.

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