I think at times people are expecting too much from this team, most in the hockey world had Ottawa near the bottom of their division & the league when this season started. Goaltending has been an achilles heel for this team all yr & for numerous yrs it's hard to remember when we ever had good consistent goaltending.
Add to that their 4th line should all be in Belleville & throughout this yr they have had to play with a few AHL players in their lineup every game. Then there is the defence that has been completely inconsistent again this yr & the fact that the GM never seems to add the right players during free agency. While it's a recipe for disaster this young team has battled through it despite the inconsistencies & incompetence of management decisions.
We can see that they are ripe for taking the next step & hopefully next season when they have more of the right people in place they can start moving up the standings & challenge for the playoffs. They have the scoring, the speed, the grit & the determination, they just need to find consistency in net & on defence & replace their AHL players with legitimate NHL payers. Sanderson, Sokolov & a healthy Pinto should help a future team a lot.
RIP - Meatloaf & comedian Louie Anderson.