Watching last night’s game against the New Jersey Devils, it was abundantly clear just how important a healthy Jason Spezza is to the Senators line up.

While Kyle Turris has done an admirable job on the second line, the Sens need Spezza in the line up and producing if they are going to keep pace over the last eight games of the season.  Jason Spezza was not on the ice this morning and is apparently still suffering from the illness that kept him out of Tuesday’s game.

With the Washington Capitals suddenly nipping at their heels, the Ottawa Senators kick off a crucial stretch of games tonight when they host the New Jersey Devils.

The Sens come into tonight’s action with 84 points, four clear of the Capitals and just three back of the sixth place New Jersey Devils.  If the Senators are going to have a shot at moving up from the seventh spot, they have to find a way to beat the teams in front of them.

Just nine games to go in the regular season.  Here we sit, 73 games into the 2011/2012 campaign and the Ottawa Senators are right in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. 

Their fate is by no means decided though and this last stretch will determine exactly where they fit in the playoff picture. Next up for the Senators, a home game against the sixth place New Jersey Devils.

Playing their third game in four nights, the Ottawa Senators looked flat against their provincial rivals, dropping a 3-1 decision the Leafs at SBP.

The Sens loss, coupled with a Bruins win earlier in the afternoon means that the Senators slide back into the 7th position in the Eastern Conference, six points clear of the Washington Capitals and eight up on the ninth place Winnipeg Jets.

It is March 17.  There are just ten games left in the regular season and the Ottawa Senators have taken over the top spot in the Northeast Division.

Filip Kuba played the role of overtime hero and the Senators overcame a dreadful night on the power play as they picked up a crucial victory on home ice.  With the 2-1 overtime win over the Canadiens, the Sens leap frog the Bruins and move into second place in the Eastern Conference.

It is hard to overstate the magnitude of the two home games facing the Ottawa Senators this weekend.

The slumping Boston Bruins have left the door to the Northeast title wide open for the Senators.  With the Canadiens and Maple Leafs in town this weekend, the Sens have an opportunity to seize control of the division for the first time this season.

A day after dropping a 3-2 shootout decision at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens, the Ottawa Senators were back on the ice for practice this afternoon ahead of a crucial home ice back to back this weekend.

Some good news for the Sens as it sounds as though Craig Anderson is nearing a return.  While he is a long shot for the weekend, there is a good chance he could return to the crease as early as next week.

With the NHL's regular season nearing a conclusion, every point is huge for the Ottawa Senators.

While the Montreal Canadiens got the best of the Sens in the shootout, Ottawa was able to earn an important single point in tonight's 3-2 loss to the Habs.  The point allows the Sens to pull within a single point of the Boston Bruins for the Northeast division lead.

In a week that is being described as “Rivalry Week” by the Sens organization, Ottawa gets set to play three straight against division rivals.

First up, a train ride to La Belle Province for a stop in Montreal tomorrow night.  The Sens then return to Ottawa for a rare back to back weekend games against the Habs on Friday and then a St. Patrick’s Day showdown with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As the Ottawa Senators players and fans get set to embark on the Heritgae Train trip to Montreal, the team got some good news on the injury front.

While Robin Lehner and Ben Bishop have done an admirable job over the past seven games, the fact is the Senators a better hockey team with their number one goalie. Craig Anderson stopped shots and handled a regular hockey stick for the first time since the injury.