Senators fans can be forgiven a thought of “oh no, not again,” watching a starting goaltender get hurt on Saturday night. It’s a movie they’ve seen too many times. All things considered, it could have been worse. Ben Bishop’s “lower body” injury (groin suspected), suffered during the second period of Ottawa’s 8-4 victory over the [...]
About Wayne Scanlan
It has been my pleasure to carry a flag for the Citizen sports department for 25 years, and a privilege to write a column since 1991. As the NHL Senators took over our town, I shifted in the mid-1990s from a general sports columnist to a mostly hockey guy. Representing this newspaper and its chain I have covered men's and women's hockey at several Olympic Games. London was my 10th Olympic assignment, as part of the Postmedia team at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in England.
Along the ride I have been fortunate to cover the Tour de France, twice, and numerous Stanley Cup playoffs and Grey Cup championships. The Senators will dictate further travel plans.
The message was plain to see, on the ball cap worn by Senators owner Eugene Melnyk: Relax. The Senators are finding that easier to do today, after Saturday’s 8-4 rout of the stately Pittsburgh Penguins. Few among the Ottawa faithful expected this turn of events, so soon after the Senators dreadful loss in Montreal the [...]
Down the road, I wonder if fans of the Senators will continue to appreciate Eugene Melnyk’s conversion to frugality.
Nearing the end of a great climb, the temptation is to look back down to where you came from. The problem with this, aside from potential vertigo, is the realization of the time and effort expended to get here. The young Ottawa Senators — many of whom haven’t climbed this high into an NHL season [...]
A day later, Cam Janssen was still feeling the adrenaline rush of the Devils opening-faceoff brawl with the New York Rangers. Shirtless and beaming, the New Jersey tough guy sat in a corner stall in the visitors’ room at Scotiabank Place following an optional game day skate that most of the Devils skipped. A lengthy [...]
In Olden Tymes, a Leafs-Senators tilt on St. Patrick’s Day would have been an entirely different scene. Sure, the green beards and the Sens-Leafs fan spats seem familiar enough, the booing of Daniel Alfredsson a recurring sacrilege, but otherwise the standardbearers are gone. On the day of the game, Pat (The Mighty) Quinn, the big [...]
Edition No. 90 of the Battle of Ontario airs Saturday night on Hockey Night In Canada, a quirky little rivalry that has both sides hotly claiming advantage. The most diehard of Ottawa Senators fans will have to concede the early rounds to the Maple Leafs of Toronto. After all, they beat the Senators four times [...]