FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-I gotta tell ya- these games against bottom-feeders like the Sabres, Coyotes and Oilers have been great for the ol’ confidence level. If nothing else, they show that while this Senators team is bad, they are nowhere near as bad as those three teams. That will be a frustrating realization for some fans hoping the Sens could fall further down the standings.
-And in fact, this recent stretch probably has the Sens looking up in the standings rather than down. Not great news for the Draft in June but I can assure you that’s the furthest thing from the minds of the players. Same with the playoff percentages. They just want to get on a little run and give themselves a chance to play some meaningful games in March and April. Ottawa sits nine points back of the final playoff spot with a game in hand.
-While the win was certainly impressive, it was an injury to Chris Neil that had most media and fans talking. Neil injured his thumb in a spirited tilt with Oilers tough guy Luke Gazdic in the second period and is out indefinitely. Garrioch has suggested a 3-4 week timeline which wouldn’t completely rule out the possibility of a trade to a contender. As many as eight teams have shown legitimate interest in Neil’s services. Will be interesting to see how many remain interested after the injury.
-Milan Michalek is playing some of his best hockey of the season. He was all over the ice in the first period last night, finished the game with three points and now has 11 points in his last 13 games. Michalek was dealing with a bit of a back injury during the first half of the season but is finally healthy and able to contribute. This has led many to believe he might be a potential trade target leading up to the deadline but I really think those two remaining years on his contract make that pretty much impossible.
-During the intermission of the late game on Hockey Night in Canada last night, the panel confirmed a story from earlier in the week suggesting that Bryan Murray has felt better the last little while and right now, is hoping that he might be able to return as General Manager next season. Obviously a lot of this is going to depend on his health but it’s certainly great news that Murray is considering a return next season.
