Sens' Ryan explains another second-half slump Ottawa Senators winger Bobby Ryan gave reporters a little window into the mental frame of mind he’s in during the struggles down the stretch in this disappointing campaign, writes TSN's Ian Mendes.

Bobby Ryan may have lost his scoring touch, but the Senators winger still has his sense of humour.

When asked on Saturday to compare his struggles down the stretch in each of the last two seasons, Ryan was told that he has scored just two goals in the last 18 games. Last season, Ryan stumbled down the stretch and tallied only one goal in the Senators’ final 20 games of the 2014-15 campaign.

“I’m hot then, hey?” quipped Ryan with a laugh.

The light-hearted comment from Ryan gave reporters a little window into the mental frame of mind he’s in during the stretch drive in this disappointing campaign. Last season - while he was always patient with the media - Ryan looked and sounded mentally exhausted about his inexplicable nose-dive in production. He was constantly re-watching video of his games and trying to pinpoint where his struggles were coming from.

This year, Ryan says he’s been asked to play a different role from head coach Dave Cameron down the stretch and his focus isn’t solely on putting the puck into the back of the net. In 2014-15, the Senators made a miraculous dash to the playoffs without much help from Ryan. This season, the Senators are going to miss the post-season, so the winger admits his lack of offensive contribution stings a bit more.

“It’s a little more miserable this year because we’re not winning. There hasn’t been a ton of focus on it - I don’t think,” Ryan said of his late season slump. “I think people have just let me play for one. But I’m playing a different role right now with where I’m at and trying to create some different ways. I think where I’m at right now is trying to teach me about puck management down the stretch - that’s what I’m more focused on. The goals will come - they always have - you hope you don’t forget how to score overnight. But at the same time I’m trying to manage the puck a little better. And take your medicine, right?”

Ryan had been playing primarily with Scott Gomez as his centreman for the past few games and the combination did not generated anything offensively. Cameron admitted on Saturday that Ryan has not had the chance to play with the likes of Mika Zibanejad, Mike Hoffman or even JG Pageau this month because injuries to players like Kyle Turris and Clarke MacArthur have forced the head coach to try and spread things around onto four different lines.

“When you have some injuries like we do and you move guys around, sometimes your high end guys, you can’t put them all together,” Cameron explained. “Usually those are the guys who their ice time and stats fluctuate and then everybody is concerned. Bobby the last while has had some real, real good looks. And they’re not going in now.”

In an interesting twist, Cameron is likely going to re-unite Ryan with Hoffman and Zibanejad for Saturday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. Gomez is expected to be a healthy scratch for the first time since signing with the club as a free agent following the trade deadline.

Ryan seemed genuinely excited about the opportunity to play with Zibanejad as his centre.

“When I’m moved up to play with Mika, you feel like you’ve got a little more jump,” Ryan said. “And it’s not even that you do; it’s just that you know where the puck is going and you’re in the right places. And that’s how you get chances and secondary chances.”

Ryan noted that when he plays with Zibanejad and Hoffman, sometimes he considers himself a playmaker with that trio, since they both possess lethal shots. So he may not be the primary trigger man on the unit this evening.

When Ryan crossed the 20-goal plateau back on February 13, there was a legitimate feeling he could crack the 30-goal mark for the first time in his three seasons with Ottawa. He recorded 23 and 18 goals in his first two campaigns with the Senators.

But now, Ryan would need eight goals in the Senators final seven regular season games to hit the 30-goal mark - which seems like an unreachable goal considering his recent offensive slide. The 29-year-old admits that he does set the 30-goal plateau as his target each season - a mark he reached in his first four full seasons in Anaheim.

“I think for me, I think I have a goal every year to get in and around that number. That’s where I set the bar for myself in years past,” added Ryan. “I don’t get mad when I don’t get to 30; I’d always like to. But there are certainly 8 or 9 shots out there that I’d like back throughout the year. So the chances are still there – regardless of whether I’m passing a little more.