This is it, folks.
In many ways, this season ended during that ugly post-Sweden slide. It became obvious it was more than a funk sometime in December. And for the optimists among us, hope faded that night they blew a third period against the Leafs on a Saturday in January.
But tonight in Boston, the 2017/2018 regular season will come to an end for the Ottawa Senators.
And not a moment too soon.
Watching Sens hockey has been unpleasant for most of the year but in the last month or so, it bordered on unbearable. Not just because it was clear that this team had packed it in but also because as the Senators tumbled down the NHL standings, most nights were spent awkwardly cheering for the other team.
It’s no way to watch hockey and it will be nice to be done with it after tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins.
And yet for some reason, I miss them already.
Last year, the disappointment was sudden. This year it has been a long drawn out process. Yet we all know, that when the calendar turns to June we’ll be looking forward to the Draft. We’ll be checking the dates of the Annual Development Camp and trying to track down a stream of the first scrimmage.
We’ve all had enough of the Ottawa Senators for this year. But as soon as their gone, we’ll be counting down the days till they return.
That’s just the way it works.
The good news is the Senators are completely locked into 30th overall which means that for the first time in months, we can all hope for a win. The Bruins still have a chance at top spot in the Atlantic Division and Ottawa can spoil that party with an upset at the TD Garden.
Two changes to the line up tonight as Andreas Englund takes the spot of the injured Ben Harpur. Danny Taylor makes his Sens debut in goal.
No game day skate so a best guess at the line up for now.
Hoffman-Duchene-White
Burrows-Pageau-Ryan
Paajarvi-Smith-Pyatt
McCormick-Chlapik-Dzingel
Borowiecki-Chabot
Claesson-Ceci
Englund-Wolanin
Puck drops for the final time just after 7:08 PM.
GO. SENS. GO.
