The long wait is finally over. I know it’s only been a few days since that playoff clinching victory against the Philadelphia Flyers but it feels like an eternity.
Tonight, the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens play Game One of their best of seven series at the Bell Centre in Montreal. I got chills just typing that sentence.
This is gonna be fun.
It goes without saying but heading into this year’s post-season, there’s a feeling around the Ottawa Senators that has never been there before. A huge part of that is obviously the incredible run they went on just to make the playoffs. No team has ever rallied the way they did and the magic surrounding the last six or seven weeks has been something rarely seen in professional sports.
But at the same time, there’s this sort of undeniable sense of, well I’m not really sure what it is. There’s just a really special feeling around this organization. Now I know that sort of thing doesn’t resonate with everyone but more than ever before, this hockey team is being brought together.
This team has been through so much this year.
A lot of it has been good but this group of guys has also been through some incredibly challenging and humbling times away from the rink. The tragedy on Parliament Hill, the story of Jonathan Pitre, the news about General Manager Bryan Murray and yesterday, the passing of Assistant Coach Mark Reeds.
This is a hockey team. But all year, they and we as fans, have had those constant reminders about the fragility of life and about the importance of living every day to its fullest.
Listen, I don’t know what’s gonna happen in this first round series. So much of hockey is about luck and over the next couple weeks, maybe the puck stops bouncing our way. But what I do know, more than ever before, is that this is a “team” in every sense of the word. This is a group of guys that believe in each other and a group that have been pulled closer not only by their success on the ice, but by the challenges they’ve faced off of it.
Until that final horn sounds, either in two weeks or in two months, this team is going to give it everything they have. And I can’t wait to watch.
Dave Cameron has had his group on the ice the last couple days and looks like he’ll make one change to his line up ahead of the series opener. Milan Michalek, who missed the last couple weeks of the season, is health and ready to return. With Michalek back, Zack Smith is the odd man out. Erik Karlsson hasn’t skated the last couple days but suggested he’s 100% for Game 1. We’ll wait for confirmation from the morning skate but here’s how the Senators are expected to line up.
MacArthur-Turris-Stone
Michalek-Zibanejad-Ryan
Condra-Pageau-Lazar
Hoffman-Legwand-Chiasson
Methot-Karlsson
Wiercioch-Ceci
Borowiecki-Gryba
Andrew Hammond will get the start in the Ottawa goal. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:00 PM with the game available on CBC and TVA.
“Let’s win it all.”
Go. Sens. Go.
