The Ottawa Senators wrapped up their five game home stand with a disappointing 4-3 overtime loss at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday afternoon.
In a stretch where the Sens could have placed some distance between themselves and the teams pushing to get into the top eight, they instead posted a 1-2-2 record and now head out on the road for a couple of huge games.
First up is a match up with the surging Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night in Tampa. Then the next night the Sens take on the Panthers in a match up between two teams right in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Florida currently sits atop the Southeast Division with 63 points.
After the mid-week back to back, Ottawa will have a four day break which means many of the teams with games in hand will start to close the gap a little bit and should give the Sens a better idea of where they sit in the playoff picture.
It may seem early with 25 games still left on the schedule for most teams but the time for scoreboard watching is already here. The Rangers scored a big regulation time win over the Capitals this afternoon which is great news for the Ottawa Senators. The 9th place Caps are now three points back of Ottawa, with three games in hand.
The Panthers and Islanders are tied at one after one.
The NHL Trade Deadline is now a little over two weeks away and all remains quiet for the Bryan Murray and the Senators. We know the club doesn't have a big splash in mind but it's possible Murray could explore some smaller tweaks but only if the price is right.
The team is no interested in adding salary and will not mortgage any of the future for a short term solution. It takes some of the excitement out of deadline day but obviously the right approach for the rebuilding Senators.
- Kudos to the Sens organization for a first class tribute to Chris Phillips on Saturday. As I watched that ceremony, I couldn't help but be proud to the a fan of this hockey team. Phillips could have been among the players that moved during last year's mini-fire sale but he stuck around and remains an important piece of the leadership group on this hockey team.
