As the calendar gets set to turn over to 2025, the Ottawa Senators find themselves in unfamiliar territory.
A playoff spot.
Thanks to a surprisingly productive road trip including an impressive win over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night, the Senators are right in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference.
They’re a point up on the Penguins for the second Wild Card spot (with a couple games in hand) and just four points back of the Bruins for third place in the Atlantic.
We’re not even at the half-way mark yet but with this recent stretch of inspired play, the Sens have ensured meaningful games into the month of January.
Steps in the right direction.
Although a quick glance at the schedule for next month shows that things really don’t get much easier after this nine-game road trip. The Senators will play 11 games in 18 days once they get back, including three straight weekend back-to-backs.
Things definitely get easier for the Senators down the stretch though so if they can remain competitive through the month of January, they’ll put themselves in a great position for a push down the stretch.
Staying/getting healthy will be a big part of that.
Some good news on the injury front yesterday as both Artem Zub and Anton Forsberg were back on the ice as full participants in yesterday’s practice. Travis Green wouldn’t comment on their status for Thursday night in Dallas but it certainly seems to suggest they’re getting close.
David Perron has also resumed skating although like the other two, there’s no timeline set yet for his return. Meanwhile, Linus Ullmark didn’t join the team on the road trip and hasn’t skated since leaving that game against the Oilers before the break.
The Senators visit the Stars on Thursday night in Dallas.
