If there was any lingering doubt that this team might have another miracle run in them, that embarrassing loss in Florida on Thursday probably took care of it.
It was a game that the Senators had to win if they wanted to keep their long shot playoff hopes alive but instead they came unraveled in the third period and ended up on the wrong end of a 6-2 final. The loss leaves them seven points back of the final playoff spot and the Red Wings have two games in hand.
It’s over. They’re done.
And while fans are left to rant about what went wrong this season, the players have to grind out thirteen more games. Starting tonight against the 30th place Toronto Maple Leafs.
It should be an interesting atmosphere in the Canadian Tire Centre for this one. Saturday night Leafs/Sens games are usually as lively as it gets at the CTC but it’s tough to recall a game that meant less than this mid-March showdown. In fact, you may have this interesting situation where the building is 50/50 Leafs and Senators fans but each fan base is cheering on the other team.
Okay maybe that’s a tad extreme but I’m certainly not expecting the usual energy in the building.
Dave Cameron has his team on the ice for the morning skate and will make a couple changes by the looks of things. Patrick Wiercioch left the morning skate early and is out again on the blueline. Matt Puempel is the odd man out up front while Nick Paul draws back in. There were plenty of reasonable calls for Dave Cameron to give the kids a more serious look down the stretch but that’s not in the cards apparently.
Here’s how they are lined up at the morning skate.
Smith-Pageau-Stone
Hoffman-Zibanejad-Chiasson
Dzingel-Gomez-Ryan
Paul-Lazar-Neil
Methot-Karlsson
Phaneuf-Ceci
Kostka-Wideman
Craig Anderson gets the start in goal. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:00 PM.
