Finally the awakening of the Senators?

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The Ottawa Senators may have found the solution to their on-ice woes, much to the relief of head coach D.J. Smith who has been the subject of speculation in recent weeks. 

With two straight wins in the American West, including a 3-2 victory in overtime against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday, the Ottawa team can build on concrete and hope for better days.  

Although she remains eighth in the Atlantic Division of the National League with 17 points, it is not too late to do well and taking inspiration from her recent successes, she could climb the ladder quickly.

Among the players who will have to guide the rest of the group, Claude Giroux keeps a cool head despite his decisive goal against the Kings. His team hadn't won twice in a row since a four-game winning streak from Oct. 18-24 and there is still a long way to go. 

Consistency is key, says Giroux 

Except that a 39-27 dominance in shooting in Los Angeles and a much stronger overall game is material to build on.

“If we didn't have the expected result, it's easy to move on and continue the work ourselves when we play well and are happy with our performance after the game. 

“However, it's good to know that we played the way we wanted and that we got what we wanted, because we know that it works and that we can accomplish what it takes. It's about being consistent and getting the job done every night,” he told NHL.com.

For his part, Captain Brady Tkachuk is far from throwing in the towel. The Senators are 10 points behind for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“Three quarters of the season is to play and there is a lot of hockey to be played. We are playing very solid these days. Obviously, we would like better results. Nevertheless, there are around sixty games left and we are confident. There is quite a bit of time to gain ground,” he told the Ottawa Sun newspaper.

The best to come? 

In his words, expect more from the Sens, who have a home-and-away series against the New York Rangers on the schedule this week, Wednesday at the Canadian Tire Center and two days later at Madison Square Garden .

“It's easy to find excuses and I believe that American Thanksgiving is a crucial date. But we don't really care about observations from the outside. We know we are better than our position in the standings. 

“There were games and stretches where we imposed our game and dictated the pace. So it's only a matter of time before we can show off our skills.”