The most obvious problem with the Senators is their lack of offence, as their league-low 80 goals (2.35 per game) would indicate.
But when your confidence is shot and you're not scoring, you especially can't afford to give up the deflating, easy goals against.
And for that, if no other reason, Martin Gerber should not be permitted back in their net.
Gerber is supposed to start in Edmonton tonight, and when I heard that I lost any sense that the Senators might snap out of their 12-game road losing streak. The other players will all defend their friend and teammate, but they see Gerber giving up the softies too. They will point to the number of good saves he made against Vancouver, and he did. But how many goals that should have been stopped - like Alexander Edler's blue line shot that gave the Canucks a comfortable 3-0 lead - does Craig Hartsburg have to see before he staples Gerber's butt to the bench for good?
If I was trying to save my job and turn this team around, I wouldn't be able to put Gerber back in goal. Ever.
Now, you say Alex Auld is struggling too? Fine, then it's time to recall Brian Elliott.
Ready or not, here he should come.
The 23-year-old's stats suggest he's worthy of promotion. In a league high 27 appearances with the Binghamton Senators, Elliott is 16-7-1. He has a decent goals against average of 2.42 and a good save percentage of .924.
They have to try something. Maybe the players will rally around the kid. Maybe he'll make saves Gerber or Auld wouldn't. Maybe he'll stop all the easy shots.
They have to try something.
They should try Elliott.