In his press conference the day he was hired, Paul MacLean talked about how he wanted this team to get a little bit better each day.
That philosophy has clearly rubbed off on the players. After a big win in Tampa on Tuesday, the Sens beat the league's top team, the New York Rangers, for the third time this season and in the process, gave themselves a little more breathing room in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Ryan Callahan struck first for the Rangers but after Zack Smith tied the game, the Sens seemed to take over. They really seemed to control the pace of the game and did a good job limiting the Rangers chances. And while the shot total was ridiculously low through 40 minutes, it felt like the Sens were in complete control.
While Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson have cooled off a little bit as of late, the secondary scoring has stepped up in a big way. Last night it was Smith, Foligno and Turris all chipping in with big goals for the home side. When the supporting cast is scoring, the Senators are a tough team to play against.
Gotta love the game of Jared Cowen last night. From the drop of the puck, he was a physical force, landing big hits on Gaborik and Boyle in the early going. It's crazy to think just how good he'll be down the road.
While the Rangers had their chances, part of that sense of control in this hockey game came from the strong play of Ben Bishop. Bishop plays goal by the book. Always seems to be in the right position and really battles in his crease.
With last night's win, the Sens now have an eight point cushion over the 9th place Winnipeg Jets. According to Sports Club Stats, the Sens are up to a 97.9% chance of securing a spot. Nothing locked up yet but the Senators have definitely put themselves in a good position with just 13 games left in the season.
The Sens are on the ice for 12:00 PM practice today at Scotiabank Place. They host the Buffalo Sabres tomorrow night.
