Share this Story : Ottawa Senators looking to kickstart power play, remain among NHL's best Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links Ottawa Senators Sports Hockey NHL Senators Extra Ottawa Senators looking to kickstart power play, remain among NHL's best Author of the article: Tim Baines Published Nov 25, 2024 • Last updated 11 minutes ago • 4 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account. Josh Norris of the Ottawa Senators celebrates his power-play goal as Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins skates by. Photo by Winslow Townson / GETTY IMAGES Article content The Ottawa Senators have plenty to figure out in the coming days, weeks and months. With the Senators passing the quarter-pole mark with Monday’s home game against the Calgary Flames, they’ve got 61 games left in the regular season. Sure, it’s a lot of time, but when it comes down to the math of who makes the playoffs and who doesn’t, every point can matter. Heading into a three-game western trip that has stops in San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim, the Senators are putting the time in to fine tune even the most basic of details. They need to be better in 5-on-5 hockey and they want to step it up with their special teams — on the power play and while playing short-handed. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account Email Address Continue or View more offers If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, unlimited online access is included in your subscription. Activate your Online Access Now Article content We’ll turn our attention to the power play. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser, or tap here to see other videos from our team . Play Video The Senators, who started the season playing particularly well with the man advantage, have cooled off a bit, but they’re still top 5. Through their five-game losing streak heading into Monday’s game, Ottawa was 5-for-18 on the power play. Two of those goals came in Saturday’s 4-3 loss to Vancouver. However, they did come up empty on a five-minute man-advantage early in the game when Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes was kicked out of the game on a boarding penalty. With the game scoreless at the time, a goal would have given the Senators momentum — something they haven’t gotten much of early in recent games. Still, with a 28.8% conversion rate, the Senators (heading into Monday) were fifth-best in the NHL, trailing Winnipeg (33.9%), New Jersey (31.0), Colorado (30.3) and Vegas (29.6). For comparison’s sake, St. Louis was last at 16.7%. “The power play is definitely a big part of the game,” winger Drake Batherson said. “It can run hot and cold. There are months where the power play is going to win you four or five games. Then, there are other months where it’s just not as sharp and you have to find a way to win other ways.” Sports Get the latest sport headlines and breaking news. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sports will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The Senators have plenty of firepower — with Batherson playing alongside Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris and Jake Sanderson — on their first-team power-play unit. So far, they’ve stepped well ahead of a disappointing 2023-24 season during which the Senators ranked 18th with a 20.1% conversion rate. The previous season, they were 14th league-wide at 21.7%. Tkachuk, who already has five power-play goals, is coming off seasons of 11 and 12. Batherson, who has four power-play goals, had 14 in 2022-23 and seven a season ago. Stutzle had 10 in 2022-23, but had just one last season (with one so far this year). Norris had 16 in 2021-22, but fell to just two last year. “It’s a place where I thrive, I enjoy being out there and trying to make a difference,” Batherson said. “Getting 14 was awesome, I’m trying to do that or better this season.” It’s not as simple as always throwing the puck at the net and hoping it goes in. There are X’s and O’s involved, schemes that allow players to find soft spots in the defence, usually by quickly passing the puck around. “There are times where you step over the boards and you feel like you’re going to score,” Batherson said. “If you’re playing good 5-on-5, it usually translates over to the power play. A few years ago, I think we clicked at 50% for a month. It comes in waves. You’re trying to get into the high 20s, low 30% range.” Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content If the power play gets rolling, it helps with the confidence where players aren’t hesitant to make cross-ice passes or throw the puck into tight spots. “We need to play like we were at the start of the year,” Stutzle said. “Pucks were going in, they’re not right now. Confidence is a big part of that. We’ve been on a losing streak so maybe the confidence is not as high. “You need to make smart decisions with the puck. We’ve been giving it away too much. If we can get this going, it’s going to be a good power play.” Recommended from Editorial Ottawa Senators coach Travis Green comes to defence of captain Brady Tkachuk Ottawa Senators defenceman Artem Zub out long-term with broken foot MISTAKES HAPPEN Defenceman Thomas Chabot said the Senators are making too many mistakes; the key is bouncing back. “Hockey is a game of mistakes, but it’s how we respond and react to those mistakes,” he said. “When times get tough, sometimes you don’t get the bounces or you make a mistake and the puck ends up in the back of your net. “We believe we’ll get through this. It’s about digging in. No one likes losing, nobody’s happy. We have a great group of guys, a bunch of different personalities. We’re pushing each other trying to accomplish something. “You’re trying to build every night. Some nights it doesn’t go your way, other nights it does.” ICE CHIPS Senators coach Travis Green bristled at the thought of just firing the puck toward the net with no traffic in front of the goalie. “We don’t just throw pucks at the net. We want to have the puck in the O-zone,” he said. “We don’t want to be a shot volume team just to be a shot volume team. I’d rather not shoot the puck if there’s no one there.” ... After blocking a shot against Vancouver on Saturday, defenceman Artem Zub is facing an extended absence with a fractured foot. Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Ottawa Senators looking to kickstart power play, remain among NHL's best Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Comments You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments. Create an Account Sign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Trending Ottawa weather: freezing rain likely on the way News Downtown Ottawa office occupancy still low despite hiked presence of public servants Public Service Rockcliffe Park fight over 'big, modern' home not over yet Local News Old knee injury no reason to avoid Sunday shifts: labour relations board News Ottawa Senators coach Travis Green comes to defence of captain Brady Tkachuk Ottawa Senators Read Next Latest National Stories Featured Local SavingsIn a surprising turn of events, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to declare martial law and then significantly backtrack has raised alarm among U.S. officials. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell criticized the move as a misjudgment and noted its perceived illegitimacy. The sudden declaration caught many, including U.S. leaders, off-guard, leading U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to admit the administration learned of the martial law declaration through television broadcasts. Lawmakers in South Korea have since moved to impeach Yoon, while his party opposes this motion. The situation reflects deep political polarization within the nation and poses a test for the U.S.-South Korea alliance. (With inputs from agencies.)

Published 6:39 pm Wednesday, December 4, 2024 By Data Skrive Here’s a peek at the injury report for the Cleveland Cavaliers (19-3), which currently has three players listed, as the Cavaliers ready for their matchup against the Denver Nuggets (11-8, two injured players) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Thursday, December 5 at 7:00 PM ET. Watch the NBA, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up. In their most recent outing on Tuesday, the Cavaliers secured a 118-87 victory over the Wizards. Donovan Mitchell’s team-leading 19 points led the Cavaliers in the win. In their most recent outing on Tuesday, the Nuggets earned a 119-115 win against the Warriors. Nikola Jokic scored 38 points in the Nuggets’ win, leading the team. Name Position Status Injury PPG RPG APG Emoni Bates SF Out Knee Max Strus SF Out Ankle Ty Jerome SG Questionable Illness 11.8 2.0 3.6 Sign up for NBA League Pass to get live and on-demand access to NBA games. Name Position Status Injury PPG RPG APG DaRon Holmes PF Out For Season Achilles Vlatko Cancar PF Out Knee 2.3 2.0 0.0 Get tickets for any NBA game this season at StubHub. Catch NBA action all season long on Fubo. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .Published 6:39 pm Wednesday, December 4, 2024 By Data Skrive Here’s a peek at the injury report for the Cleveland Cavaliers (19-3), which currently has three players listed, as the Cavaliers ready for their matchup against the Denver Nuggets (11-8, two injured players) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Thursday, December 5 at 7:00 PM ET. Watch the NBA, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up. In their most recent outing on Tuesday, the Cavaliers secured a 118-87 victory over the Wizards. Donovan Mitchell’s team-leading 19 points led the Cavaliers in the win. In their most recent outing on Tuesday, the Nuggets earned a 119-115 win against the Warriors. Nikola Jokic scored 38 points in the Nuggets’ win, leading the team. Name Position Status Injury PPG RPG APG Emoni Bates SF Out Knee Max Strus SF Out Ankle Ty Jerome SG Questionable Illness 11.8 2.0 3.6 Sign up for NBA League Pass to get live and on-demand access to NBA games. Name Position Status Injury PPG RPG APG DaRon Holmes PF Out For Season Achilles Vlatko Cancar PF Out Knee 2.3 2.0 0.0 Get tickets for any NBA game this season at StubHub. Catch NBA action all season long on Fubo. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Any Texas or Texas A&M player has heard the lore of the rivalry between the two schools, a grudge match that dates to 1894. But for more than a decade — two generations of college football players — that's all it has been: Ghostly memories of great games and great plays made by heroes of the distant past. That changes this week when one of college football's great rivalries is reborn. Third-ranked Texas (10-1, 6-1) and No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2) meet Saturday night for the first time since 2011, with a berth in the Southeastern Conference championship game on the line . “Guys that have been in my position and bleed burnt orange, they have not gotten to play this game,” said Texas fourth-year junior safety Michael Taaffe, who grew up in Austin. “Remember them when you step on Kyle Field.” For Aggies fans, who have carried the misery of Texas' 27-25 win in 2011, getting the Longhorns back in front of a frenzied crowd in College Station is a chance for some serious payback. “I was born and raised an Aggie, so I’ve been dreaming about playing in this game my whole life,” Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III said. Zuhn played high school football in Colorado, but his parents and grandparents attended A&M. At SEC media days back in August, Zuhn said his family would turn Texas gear upside down in stores. He keeps a picture of a longhorn in his room, hanging upside down, of course. “It should be the most amazing atmosphere that I’ve ever experienced,” Zuhn said. "I can’t wait for that, and I feel bad for Texas having to play in that." Texas players said they are ready. “That place is going to be rocking,” Texas senior cornerback Jahdae Barron said. “It's good to go on the road and play in hostile environments.” The Longhorns have overcome big and loud road crowds before. They won at Alabama in 2023. They won at Michigan and Arkansas, another old rival, this year. The Longhorns have won 10 in a row on an opponent’s home field. “When the hate is on us, we love it. We enjoy it,” Taaffe said. But some former Texas players say the current group has faced nothing like what awaits them in College Station. Playing at Texas A&M is more than just noise and a lot of “Horns down” hand signals. The “Aggie War Hymn” fight song calls for Aggies to “Saw varsity’s horns off." Beating Texas is their passion, said former Longhorns All-American offensive lineman Dan Neil, who won at Texas A&M in in 1995. He calls that win one of the best of his career. “I was done showering and getting ready to leave, and their fans were still standing outside the locker room screaming and throwing things,” he said. “The (Texas) players have no idea what they are walking into. They have no clue. No one on that team has walked into that stadium in burnt orange.” The rivalry broke up when Texas A&M left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012. The Aggies have twice finished tied for second but have otherwise found little success there. Texas is in its first year in the SEC and has smashed its way to the top. Texas is the only SEC team with one loss this late in the season, which would make beating Texas that much sweeter for A&M. “The hype is definitely saying it's a rivalry. History says it's a rivalry, but for us, it's the football game we have this week,” Texas senior center Jake Majors said. “It's important for us to not let the environment, the game, get the best of us. ... I get to go out there and play not only for me and my team, but for the guys who came before me, so that's a true honor to have.” Even though the game hasn't been played since 2011, there has always been an element of the rivalry simmering under the surface, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said. Elko is in his first year as the Aggies' coach, but he was the Texas A&M defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher from 2018-2021. “Even though it hasn’t been played, it just doesn’t feel like it’s ever really left the fabric. I really don’t think it’s as removed from the psyche as maybe it feels,” Elko said. “I think our kids are very much aware of what this is all about.” Rieken reported from College Station, Texas. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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Day one on the cruise ship Viking Jupiter in Buenos Aires and the atmosphere quivers with passion. Tango Cervila dance company has come on board. The music moans, high heels rattle the stage of the ship’s theatre, long legs extend from red dresses. I’m electrified out of my jet lag. A short pause, like the sigh of the unrequited, and then the audience stands to applaud. This is a worthy opener to a cruise from Buenos Aires around the toe of South America to Valparaiso in Chile. I’ll find abundant passion of all sorts on this cruise. Next day we meet our local guide Agostina, who is passionate about Argentine history. She’s a diminutive firecracker with an eyebrow ring; she rolls her Rs as if about to burst into song. Local colour in Beunos Aires. Down in La Boca district, she and other locals are obsessed with Argentinian football heroes. Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi are plastered on T-shirts and fridge magnets, and depicted like church icons on building walls brightly painted in team colours. Next day, I discover Uruguayans are passionate about their version of carnival, and lose themselves in drumming and dancing. We’ve docked in Montevideo, a capital with character. The old town has down-at-heel Mediterranean squares and dusty bakeries, but its stirring statues of revolutionary generals are distinctively South American. Our guide Mirtha, whose husband is Australian, endearingly talks everything up in the habit of people from obscure countries. The Uruguayan carnival lasts longer than Brazil’s. The parliament building is a world wonder. That obelisk is beautiful! We Uruguayans are great at football! A statue of Uruguayan hero General Artigas in Plaza Independencia, Montevideo. Credit: Alamy Who doesn’t enjoy such passion? I feel I’m a convert to all things Uruguayan and, as we sail away and I tuck into a hearty Florentine steak in the ship’s Manfredi’s restaurant, I feel I must come back to Uruguay one day for more. This Viking cruise connects disparate places: big cities, windblown ports, isolated islands. It opens on the warm, sluggish, muddy River Plate but culminates in frozen Patagonia. It sails out into the Atlantic and finishes in the Pacific. I’ve been on many cruises, but none quite like this one for variety and unexpectedness. Buenos Aires was hot and steamy: buildings have sub-tropical stains, jacarandas flourish, lovers slump on park benches. But as Viking Jupiter slides southwards, the Argentine coast becomes dry and scrubby. The surrounds of Puerto Madryn could be South Australia if it weren’t for the snooty guanacos, and flamingos bent like question marks above small lagoons. It could equally be a flat Wales. In Puerto Madryn I encounter another unexpected passion on a shore excursion: locals fiercely proud of their Welsh immigrant heritage. But wistful, weary Argentina doesn’t really feel like anywhere else. It’s one of those one-of-a-kind places every traveller hopes for. Its capital has old-world glamour and dainty coffee shops, while its countryside celebrates macho cowboy culture and barbecues. Its people are proud and passionate and don’t forget their history. At every port, we’re fervently reminded that the Islas Malvinas, or Falkland Islands, ought to be Argentine. Monuments to dead soldiers sit on every windy waterfront like sore teeth the Argentines can’t help poking. I detect passion in the subjects of our onboard lectures: working-class heroine and president’s wife Eva Peron, legendary tango singer Carlos Gardel, former revolutionary and prisoner turned Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica. As we sail the Atlantic on a day at sea, guest Argentinian lecturer Kevin Saslavchik provides a balanced view of the 1982 Falklands War and its causes, in which he includes fascinating video clips including the opinions of a Falklands islander and an Argentine war veteran. And then we’re sailing into the Falkland Islands themselves. Low, scraped lumps of rock recede to high hills. We tender into Port Stanley past fishing ships: 50 per cent of Spain’s calamari comes from these waters. Gentoo penguins on the beach in the Falkland Islands. Credit: Getty Images Port Stanley is, much like everywhere else in the South Atlantic – eccentric. Locals celebrate a midwinter plunge into 5C water to get a Certificate of Lunacy signed by the governor. Red pillar post boxes are still stamped with George VI’s initials. Our guide Tim lost an eye when the RAF accidentally bombed his farmhouse. Local ladies sell jam made from red teaberries, and penguins waddle on the beaches. As we leave, two sea lions appear on the pier to bask in the sun. The light is beautiful as the ship sails, giving a glow to the low green vegetation, and a yellow sheen to the Falklands’ exposed rock, teasing out the beauty of this wild and grim place. Patagonia is nipping at my ears and sneaking under my jacket as I pace the deck on our way back to continental South America. Viking Jupiter’s relaxed spa – a retreat of style without fuss – is the place to warm up with a plunge into its Scandinavian-style hot tub or a session in its sauna. Then I flop into the warm-water swimming pool. South America ends in scoured rock and salty winds, snowy mountains and smelly sea lions. We dock in Ushuaia, where tours and restaurants and shops all market themselves as The End of the World. Buenos Aires is 3000 kilometres away, Antarctica 1000 kilometres, and a sky swollen with dark clouds presses down like a lid. Ushuaia – the southernmost city in Argentina. The scenery is Alaskan, but Ushuaia’s bright yellow church and red-roofed buildings might have been teleported from Mexico. The wind is on a mission to blow me into the harbour. I’m surprised to discover Ushuaia was established as a penal colony. A Viking guide takes us to the old prison, a grim, cramped and frigid place that must have seemed as remote as Port Arthur in Tasmania to its 19th-century inmates. Ushuaia is an unprepossessing town of ankle-breaking pavements, shabby buildings and an air of neglect, but it exhilarates me. The landscapes here have chilly passion. They can seduce you or, as they did to early European explorers, chew you up and spit you out. Viking Jupiter isn’t shaken by the Strait of Magellan nor the Chilean fjords. We glide through scenery of distant mountains, volcanoes like witch’s hats, glaciers like crumbled meringue. Seabirds gather like extras in a Hitchcock movie. I barely see a house, a boat, a sign of life. Only in the Australian outback have I seen such empty vastness. Even the ship’s officers come out on deck to stare, as if mesmerised. Valparaiso – a rickety madness of time-worn buildings. Distances are big, and this cruise has quite a few days at sea. The hours seem short, however. Viking is the thinking person’s cruise company. Bookshelves are well stocked with history and travel books, and every ship hosts a resident historian. Ours is Geoff Peters, formerly of the Royal Australian Navy, who covers local history and maritime exploits and engages guest in Q&A sessions. Guests scurry from wildlife watching to astronomy lectures, mahjong competitions to afternoon tea in the Wintergarden. One day at the Pool Grill, waiters serve churrascaria-style grilled meat as a band plays. Chile feels different from Argentina. Punta Arenas, Ushuaia’s rival, is more polished. The tour coaches are better, the sights more tourist-trim. The town centre is full of weatherbeaten old mansions built on the wool and gold booms of the 19th century. I hike into Magellan’s Strait Park with enthusiastic guide Bartolo. His passion is for birds and endemic plants, and such is his enthusiasm that I find myself becoming entranced by meadowlarks and lichens amid the outsized scenery. Our final port, Valparaiso, in contrast to Punta Arenas, is a rickety madness of time-worn buildings, street markets and graffitied neighbourhoods that cling to steep hillsides. There’s no city planning at all, observes our local Viking guide Ervands with a chuckle, as if he approves. But who cares? Valparaiso too has passion. You can see it in the explosion of street art, the wanton bougainvillaea, the blaring music and mad clamour in every plaza. This is a city unlike any of the others we’ve visited: a suitable end to a cruise for those who think they’ve seen it all. THE DETAILS Viking Jupiter at sea. CRUISE Viking Cruises’ 18-day South America & Chilean Fjords cruise between Buenos Aires and Santiago (Valparaiso) visits Argentina, Uruguay, the Falkland Islands and Chile, and sails iconic maritime destinations such as the Beagle Channel, Cape Horn and the Strait of Magellan. BOOK There are eight departures between November 2024 and March 2025, from $9995 a person including accommodation, all meals and meal-time drinks, Wi-Fi, gratuities and a complimentary shore excursion in each port. See vikingcruises.com.au MORE argentina.travel uruguaynatural.com falklandislands.com chile.travel The writer was a guest of Viking Cruises.Police hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's masked killer after 'brazen, targeted' attack on NYC street