Senators wait and watch while others climb
After a successful Florida trip with their fathers in tow, the Ottawa Senators settled back into their practice routine Friday and prepared for a weekend of scoreboard watching.
After a successful Florida trip with their fathers in tow, the Ottawa Senators settled back into their practice routine Friday and prepared for a weekend of scoreboard watching.
They had Thursday off and don’t play again until Monday, a gap that will allow several of the teams chasing them for Eastern Conference’s lower playoff seeds to burn off some games in hand.
Ottawa currently sits seventh, four points up on eighth-place Toronto and seven up on ninth-place Washington. The Leafs play in Vancouver on Saturday, while Washington takes on division rivals Florid and Tampa Bay.
Jason Spezza, who picked up three goals and four assists in victories over the Lightning and Panthers this week, said the Senators were well aware of how important their trip was, considering the lackluster 1-2-2 homestand that preceded it.
“We knew it was important because we’re not playing all weekend and you’re watching other teams get points,” he said. “For us to get the wins and get back on track feeling good about our game was important too.”
Spezza added that while team success was paramount, but it was a treat to have some personal success as well with his dad watching from the stands.
“It doesn’t matter how old you get, it’s still nice to play well in front of your dad,” he said with a chuckle. “We’re all just big kids anyways and you’re always looking to impress your parents, so you know, it was fun to have him around and to get the wins that we got.”
The Senators will have Saturday off before heading to New York on Sunday. They play the Islanders at 1 p.m. on Monday, which is a holiday in the United States.
Other news and notes from Senators practice:
— Centre Jesse Winchester, still trying to recover from a concussion suffered in late December, skated Friday. Winchester has already had one setback after hitting the ice.
— Senators coach Paul MacLean suggested Jim O’Brien is earning his extended stay with the club after a shabby start to the year. MacLean said O’Brien’s attention to detail was lacking and his willingness to take instruction during training camp was ‘poor,’ but that it’s evident the young centre went down to Binghamton and did the things the coach there, Kurt Kleinendorst, asked of him.
Well the Leafs have a tough sked while the Caps are not playing well so as long as the Sens look after their own games they can let the chips fall where they may. Another way I like to look at it….Sens have already won those games so it is up to the rest to win their games. I find it amusing that we (Sens) were supposed to end up last or close to last (according to all the so-called experts) and now we are concerned about somebody catching us for the last playoff spot. Go figure. Anyway I am confident that as long as we take care of business we will be ok. Of course you might have figured out that I am a Sens fan!!!
Let the Sens be ‘masters of their own destiny’ so to speak. Win as many games down the stretch as they can… and force those teams with games in hand to win them all to catch up.
Sens have to get far enough ahead that their games in April to close out the season… will not be necessary to win to stay in the playoffs.
The last 4 games are the Isles — who are playing well… Carolina who is a pretty good team with great goaltending.. Boston & New Jersey — which will be very tough games.
Toronto’s last 4 are against.. Buffalo x2, Tampa & Mtl… a much easier schedule to close out..
Washington’s last 4 …Mtl, Tampa, Florida & NYR
Florida’s last 4 — Detroit, Winn, Wash & Carolina..
I think it will be Ott, Tor, Wash/Fla — in the fight for the playoffs, with the winner of Wash/Fla getting 3rd overall.. and the loser fighting with Ott & Tor…
Yep..I agree ! I would like to see coach Maclean start ‘preaching’ “OWN YOUR ZONE”…and make it a team battle cry…their poor play in their own zone and on the boards will spell disaster if they do make the play-offs and we could have used that big defenseman GILL from the HABS.
don Constance Bay !