By Canadian Press

Boucher has unique punishment for Senators after lacklustre 6-0 loss to Blues

Feb 7, 2017 | 6:15 PM

OTTAWA — Guy Boucher found a unique way to punish the Ottawa Senators after a lacklustre performance.

The Senators head coach made every Ottawa player sit in the locker-room and answer questions from the media — a rarity in the NHL — after a 6-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.

It was the first time in years every player was sitting in his stall as media walked into the dressing room for post-game availability.

“We didn’t look good and we didn’t do collectively what we normally do consistently,” said Boucher. “This was about facing the music together. We win as a team and we lose as a team. The coaching staff is there, also, ready to face the music and the players also.

“When you get adversity it builds you or destroys you and I always choose the building part and I think the players sticking together is the first part of the building.”

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The Senators have struggled of late, going 1-3-1 in their last five and given up ten goals in its last two games while being shutout. While Ottawa (27-18-6) has had poor outings this season, this was clearly one of the worst.

“Generally when we lose I think we come in and we can honestly say it wasn’t for a lack of effort, tonight is the exception in that regard,” said Ottawa’s Bobby Ryan. “We were stale, flat, whatever word you want to use for it. We didn’t have the jump early.”

Despite the disappointing performances Boucher doesn’t see cause for alarm at this point.

“A few games in a row you’re not at your best and that’s when the mental strength and the strength of your team shows up eventually and you become stronger because of it,” said Boucher. “Right now we’re being tested and it’s a good time to stick together.”

If not for Andrew Hammond making some key saves in the first period the game could have been even worse. Hammond was making his first start since Dec. 18, when he suffered a high ankle sprain and missed the next seven weeks. He was decent against the Blues, making 24 saves, but had little support.

“He’s been having a tough go this year with injuries and he hasn’t really found his rhythm and we’re all happy for him and excited for him to play a game and we didn’t do what we needed to do to give him a chance to win,” said captain Erik Karlsson. “I think all the goals they scored are not reflecting of the way that he played.”

In comparison, Jake Allen made 30 saves for his second shutout of the season and Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice to lead the Blues.

Magnus Paajarvi, Patrik Berglund, Alex Steen and Ivan Barbashev also scored for St. Louis (27-22-5). The Blues, playing the second of a five-game road trip, have now won five of its last seven road games after winning just five of its first 17. St. Louis’s Carter Hutton shut out Philadelphia 2-0 Monday.

“What I’ve done in the past, what the organization has done in the past, is after a shutout you come back with that same goaltender, but given the way that Jake has played lately we had confidence in him coming into this game,” said Blue coach Mike Yeo. “We knew it was going to be a good test and he would be tested and he was outstanding.”

Leading 2-0, the Blues went on to score four goals in the third to send the 16,787 on hand at Canadian Tire Centre for the exits.

Berglund jumped on a rebound for an early power-play goal in the third that allowed St. Louis to jump out to a 3-0 lead. The Senators challenged the play believing the Blues were offside, but the review was inconclusive and the goal stood. Steen, Tarasenko, with his second, and Berglund also scored.

The Blues opened the scoring early in the second as Paajarvi had some good speed coming down the wing and beat Hammond high and Tarasenko made it 2-0 scoring on a great pass from Paul Stastny leaving Hammond with little chance.

Hammond was tested in the opening minutes of the game and made a couple of good saves on Jori Lehtera and Kenny Agostino.

Hammond getting the start allowed the Senators to give Mike Condon a break who had made 27 consecutive appearances prior to Tuesday’s game.

Notes: Ottawa C Curtis Lazar was a healthy scratch for the second time in four games. D Fredrik Claesson was also a healthy scratch for the Senators. St. Louis RW Nail Yakupov, RW Dmitrij Jaskin and D Carl Gunnarsson were a healthy scratch.

Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press