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Guy Boucher: Senators 5-1 loss to Predators worst game of the season

Nov 17, 2016 | 6:30 PM

OTTAWA — Guy Boucher called the Ottawa Senators’ 5-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Thursday night their worst game of the season.

“This is the second time we’ve been terrible against Nashville,” said Boucher. “I don’t know if we’re allergic to them or something.”

While Boucher was able to laugh at the comment there was nothing funny about the Senators play. From start to finish, the Predators were the better team and out-worked Ottawa in every area.

“Right off the bat our turnovers killed us in the first period,” said Boucher. “We’re letting the opponent wear us down in the first period and then you play catch up hockey because of that.

“I know guys are trying to get a bit more offence, but that’s not the right way, that’s definitely not the right way.”

Lack of offensive production continues to be a problem as Ottawa’s now gone 11 straight games scoring two goals or less.

Derick Brassard scored the lone Ottawa goal, while Mike Condon, making his third start for the Senators (10-6-1), made 35 saves.

Colton Sissons, Ryan Ellis, Pontus Aberg, James Neal and Mike Ribeiro scored for the Predators (7-6-3). Pekka Rinne made 30 saves.

Leading 3-1 to start the third, Nashville put the game out of reach as Neal, with his seventh goal in six games, and Ribeiro, taking a long pass from P.K. Subban, made it 5-1 sending the 15,480 fans at Canadian Tire Centre to the exits.

“We played great,” said Predators captain Mike Fisher. “We’ve struggled on the road and this was a really good solid game for us. We needed that one. We did a lot of good things.”

Nashville held the edge in play in the second and was rewarded as Aberg scored his first NHL goal, beating Condon through the legs.

Ottawa got off to a poor start, giving up the first goal for the sixth straight game.

“It’s always tough to play from behind,” said Senators captain Erik Karlsson. “We’ve been doing it a lot lately, but we’ve been doing a good job at it and (Thursday) was not one of those days. It’s going to happen, it’s just a matter of making sure it doesn’t happen anytime soon again. We’ve got to come back and work on the things that we need to work on and realize we need a lot more, not a little bit more for Saturday’s game.”

The Predators opened the scoring at 2:14 as Sissons tipped Austin Watson’s shot after some poor defensive coverage from Karlsson and Marc Methot.

Fans could almost feel the weight lift from Brassard’s shoulders as he scored a power-play goal to tie the game 1-1 at the 8:36 mark of the first period. It was just Brassard’s second goal of the season. It also marked the Senators’ first power-play goal in six games.

“It’s something I’ve been working on every day,” said Brassard of his shot. “I was working on it this morning. Now it’s behind me and I have to focus on the next game and try and play well.”

The Predators regained the lead on Ellis’s goal as he beat Condon far side.

Bobby Ryan left the game with an upper body injury and did not return for the second period. He is questionable for Saturday at this point.

Prior to the game the Senators honoured Fisher for reaching the 1,000th game milestone last season. Fisher played 675 games with the Senators before being traded to Nashville.

“For the organization to do something like that was pretty special,” said Fisher. “There’s so many great memories here, it’s like home.”

Notes: LW Mike Hoffman is out day-to-day and was replaced by Max McCormick. A late change had Andrew Hammond backing Condon up in place of Craig Anderson. D Fredrik Claesson was a healthy scratch. Nashville C Cody Bass and D Matt Carle were a healthy scratch.

Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press