Nick Jensen you will have to watch what is happening from the press box at a time when the defender is having a hard time.
Ottawa Senators decided to scratch the 35-year-old blueliner before Monday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team announced after morning skate.
“It’s not an easy decision. It could have been multiple guys, today it was Jens,” head coach Travis Green told reporters. “For various reasons that stay in our room, maybe we like this match, it can also change from night to night. Tonight it could be Jens, tomorrow it could be someone else.”
Jensen has seen his minutes dwindle as of late, playing just 14:30 of playing time in the Senators' 7-5 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and finishing the game at minus-2.
He is averaging 16:43 playing time this season, the lowest of his career since his second year in the league in 2017-18. He has just one goal and seven assists in 37 games, while his minus-10 plus-minus is second-worst on the team.
“This is one of those decisions that we've thought about a lot and it's not an easy one,” Green said. “It's not an easy day for Jens either – I feel for him.”
Good news for the senators, center Shane Pinto is nearing a return from an upper-body injury that has kept him out since early December.
Pinto continued to gain momentum after returning to the team to skate before the holidays and practice for the first time Sunday, but Green remained cagey about his availability for Monday's game against Columbus, calling it “TBD.”
The 25-year-old suffered the injury during a loss to the New York Rangers on December 4 when he fell awkwardly.
The Franklin Square, New York native has 12 goals and six assists in 27 games and averages 18:58 hours of ice time per night.
