NKB’s Notebook: Breakouts, the Penalty Kill, and ZUUUUUUB

Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports Are the Ottawa Senators too good? At this point you have to ask the question.

But seriously, there have been a lot more positives to write about these last couple of weeks. Besides the wins, the team has been playing much better hockey in virtually every facet. Here are a few tactical developments that have jumped out at me recently:

I wouldn’t say that this is something that I’ve only noticed in the last week, but there is an obvious difference in how the Sens’ defense group has been breaking out the puck versus what was happening in the early part of the season. Part of this is personnel-related, Artem Zub and Erik Brännström are much better puck movers than…