(UPDATE 1:37 PM)- Bobby Butler suffered a pulled groin muscle last night and was not at practice this afternoon. He is not expected to make the trip to Washington. Alex Auld will get his first start of the season tomorrow night.
The harsh realities of a rebuilding season hit the Ottawa Senators hard last night.
Playing a team projected to finish near the bottom of the heap in the Western Conference, the Sens were dominated from start to finish and were never in last night's game against the Avalanche.
The Avs took it to the Senators from opening puck drop and never let up. The game was every bit as ugly as the 7-1 final would indicate and the shots, which finished 39-16 in the Avs favour, showed just how one sided this game was.
Craig Anderson's slow start continued as he was left on the hook for all seven goals. The defence isn't doing him any favours right now but he has definitely struggled to find his game in the early going this year.
Important for the Senators to put this one behind them and get ready to play on Saturday night. The team will practice at noon at the Bell Sensplex.
- Nikita Filatov was sent to Binghamton last night and some fans were taken by surprise. Being told he is actually in great spirits over the move and knows what he has to do to get back with the big team. Filatov has had a hard time adjusting to the system MacLean wants his players to play. The good news is he's committed to getting back on track. He will play for the BSens tonight and skate on the top line with Corey Locke and Kaspars Daugavins.
- Great feature by TSN's Dave Naylor on Sens prospect Darren Kramer. Kramer fought more than any other player in pro hockey last year and was a late round pick of the Sens at last year's entry draft. You can see the story here.
- The Ottawa Senators are kicking tires on a deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Nothing is close right now but the teams have held talks. Helps explain the two scouts in Columbus the other night.
