Mike Fisher is the first to admit that he’s not the same player he was six weeks ago.
Mired in a slump that has seen him go without a goal in 13 consecutive games, the forward says he needs to re-discover his scoring touch from earlier this season.
“I’m not playing with the confidence that I was earlier,” Fisher admitted on Monday afternoon after the Senators wrapped up a practice in Atlanta. “I know I have to be better offensively and produce. It’s been tough lately.”
Head coach Cory Clouston is scrambling to find offence with the likes of Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson and Milan Michalek sidelined with injuries. With those players out, Fisher is the leading scorer on the team right now with 15 goals and 32 points.
The Senators were outscored 7-1 in losses to Florida and Carolina this past weekend and Fisher was a non-factor offensively in those games, registering just one shot on goal. Clouston believes that his star centre needs to have more of an attacking mentality around the net.
“I don’t think he’s shooting as much as before. He’s going to have to simplify his game,” said Clouston.
But the head coach also suggested that Fisher’s offensive struggles have coincided with the absence of Spezza, who used to draw the opposition’s best defensive players. Now Fisher is the one receiving that attention and his last goal came on Dec. 16th – the game after Spezza was injured. Fisher only somewhat agreed with that assessment, instead trying to shoulder more of the blame on himself, instead of chalking it up to better defensive coverage from the opposition. .
“That could be the case, but I feel like my game isn’t where it should be,” he said.
In an effort to jumpstart both Fisher and an impotent power play that now ranks dead-last in the NHL, Clouston is putting his centre back on the point with the man-advantage. Ottawa’s power play has gone just 2-for-47 in the last 14 games and putting Fisher back on the blueline is another attempt to try and shake things up.
“I got to be sure I’m using my shot back there. I’m going to be another option for them,” said Fisher, who played briefly on the point on the power play last season.
