The Ottawa senators have now dropped their 4 games in a row, a team that was riding high not long ago. The Senators traveled to Boston to face off with the Bruins last night, in a playoff type atmosphere, hard hitting, couple of fights, goals and a very loud crowd. Might have a atmosphere a little intimidating for the senators team, as they saw their 3-1 lead evaporate into thin air.

With just a few minutes left to play in the 2nd, you could tell the tides were turning, the sens looked disorganized and couldn’t seem to get plays set up. The Stanley cup champs, a team you know that will never give up took it to the sens hard late in the 2nd and Lucic scored with under a minute to go in the period. That would start the comeback for the bruins. Maybe it was the rust from the All star break of maybe the atmosphere was just hard on the Senators who have made been a legit playoff contender for a few season now.

The 3rd period saw the Sens lack of composure after Brad Marchand out muscles Veteran Defenseman Chris Phillips to tie the game up, at that point you could tell it wasn’t going to a pretty finish to the 3rd period for the Sens. Shortly after that, a Slap shot from center ice from Steinberg on hops past Goalie Craig Anderson for a 4-3 lead and that would be the final score.

Sens now lost 4 in a row, and have shown some signs of bad defensive play. They have gave up the 1st goal in  8 straight games as well, is this a sign of a team on the down fall or did they just over achieve at the start. Remember NHL analysts picked Ottawa to finish toward the bottom, Time to be worried? Time will tell…

It was a second match up in as many days for Zdeno Chara and Daniel Alfredsson, but this time, it wasn’t a friendly. Ottawa’s 4-3 loss to the Boston Bruins was fast-paced and salty, with a good measure of physicality which shows that we are very clearly in the second half of the season. The break is over and done with, and as Ottawa looks ahead to the last 30 games of the season, they’re going to do everything they possibly can to hold onto their playoff spot and make a real run at it.

Taking this last half of the season sprint very seriously is Jason Spezza, who’s upped the physical aspect of his game and is making sure his presence is felt. Maybe the black eye has given him a little mean streak and it couldn’t come at a better time. There’s no more “oh, it’s just October” or “oh, it’s just November”. The NHL season is a long one, but it’s go time now and Ottawa has already gone above and beyond what anyone expected of them in September.

After the fun-loving nature of the All-Star Game, NHL level hockey kind of shocks the system, for the fans, players and refs, it seems. The players were looking a little logy at times and there was more falling than usual. Timing was a key issue, as shots were just fanned on at the last minute and a few shots on net just whispered shy. They more than made up what they lacked in accuracy with what they did in fighting. Two heavy matches within the first period saw Neil take on Thornton and Konopka take on McQuaid and sportscasters waging bets on Carkner and Lucic to follow.

The second period was real hockey. Both teams played their best hockey on the night in this period, with lots of speed and good rushes. Turris and Karlsson scored for Ottawa while Lucic potted on for Boston to make the score 3-2 at the buzzer. The third period went from bad to worse as Ottawa got called for minors and Seidenberg scored a weird one from centre ice which took a funny bounce past Craig Anderson. Marchand also scored off a deflection off Karlsson’s leg on the power play in the same period.

Ottawa didn’t get any power play time of their own in this game. Which is funny, because with all the ref controversy hanging over Ottawa’ s head from their Western Conference road trip, surely, there’s no bad reputation around one of the most heavily penalized team in the NHL? One of two strange things happened; the refs believed in the phony baloney surrounding the team during that trip or the Boston Bruins played hockey like an angelic choir group. I’m taking the former.

Before the third period, this was anyone’s game. Neither team had a lock on it until the bad calls and weird bounces took the wind out of Ottawa’s sails. The refs made fair calls against Ottawa; they didn’t return the favour when it came to making the exact same calls against Boston. But Ottawa can’t afford to get frustrated; they’ve come too far to blow it now.

The stars of the National Hockey league took over the city of Ottawa this weekend, from Thursday to Sunday the city was a special buzz. There were lots of parties going on and events to take part in, such as Fan Fair in downtown Ottawa. Maybe players enjoyed the night life of the market and entertained fans at local bars. The All-star Weekend was a great for the Ottawa people who had 5 home town heroes to cheer on, which included, Milan Michalek, Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson, Colin Greening and Daniel Alfredsson. The tremendous support of the Fans made this weekend the best weekend I’ve been a part of as a fan of the game. The Ovations that the home town fans gave their hometown heroes on NHL Skills night and then toping it on Sunday when Alfredsson score his 1st game of the game, just gave me chills all over. The rest of the NHL got to see a real classic moment and I imagine most of the young guys all dream of moments like that in their careers to come. A Weekend I’ll never forget…

The fun times are over for now; it’s back to business for the Ottawa Senators who hit the ice today for practice I believe who will then travel to Boston for a game with the Bruins. Sens are coming off a long western road trip, where they ending up the trip on a 3 game losing skid. Does the bad play of late and the losing streak mean much, or were the Sens just tired out? They have played the must games to date in the NHL this season. Rookie’s Andre Peterson and Mark Borowiecki made their debut in the NHL, Borowiecki looking NHL ready who played a tough physical style and was good in the Sens end. Kyle Turris who had 4 pts in the 1st two games of the road trip is looking like he found his game can he keep this up? I expect Milan Michalek to get back to wear he started his amazing year who at one point lead the league in goals for the NHL before injury kept him out of play.
A strong test for the Senators tomorrow night in Boston as they will look to start the 2nd half of the season on a high note, it will be a great entertaining 2nd half of the season for all Senators fans as the 20th season memories continue.

The Ottawa Senators closed out their Western Conference road trip with a 3-2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes in a match up that was as exciting as the stadium name for the local team. Despite a fight in the second period, this game lacked intensity and emotion.

It wasn’t the type of game expected for a returning player who was traded away after a signing controversy, with only a handful of resentful fans and Aucoin getting on Turris. Perhaps it would have been a more intense match up had the player he been traded for been playing in this game; unfortunately, Rundblad is playing in the AHL. And they say Ottawa got the short end of the stick on that deal.

The looming NHL All-Star break seemed to give the players permission to go on a mental break through the first two periods. The Senators woke up in time for their Captain to score in the second and Chris Neil showed some gusto on his third period goal off a good feed from Condra.

The third period, as always, was the best one for Ottawa and they almost tied up the game- until the blind deaf refs from LA decided to call goaltender interference on Foligno, wave off the goal and give him a minor. What looked like a fairly normal scramble in the crease with players falling over, the refs deemed as an intentional hit on Phoenix’s goaltender.

Remember that this is the same dream team that called the penalty shot on Phillips for closing his hand on the puck when video replays showed he did no such thing. The only saving grace was Captain Daniel Alfredsson’s poise when the refs explained why they waved off his goal. After that level of frustration in consecutive games and finding out that the game-tying goal doesn’t count, I would have gone Tortorella on the refs myself.

Of course, it’s not all bad news. Ottawa does sit in a playoff spot right now in 5th place in Eastern Conference and Craig Anderson continues to be a stellar player for the team. The Captain is showing no sign of age and as a whole, this team has gelled far better than anyone would have imagined before the season began. Thankfully, the Senators and their fans can put this game behind them and relax for a week as the All-Star break kicks in. Late January, we all need it.

I watched the Senators game against the LA Kings late last night; the refs did not. This isn’t sour grapes or the result of staying up until 1am only to have to report a loss; there’s more than enough evidence in the game footage to show that blind, deaf and ref rhyme for a reason. A day after a non-call on Karlsson in the Anaheim game resulted in a claim from an official that Karlsson is known as a ‘diver’, with a justifiably irate Paul Maclean saying that his players should be shown some respect, the refs did just the opposite in LA.

The Sens lost 4-1 to LA in a game that had auspicious beginnings with Jason Spezza taking a puck to the face in warmup. After some bizarre warm up related injuries this season including the latest from Taylor Hall in Edmonton, it’s easy to see why safety is at the forefront of all hockey issues this year or one would have to conclude that the hockey gods are mad at us.

The Craig Anderson and Johnathon Quick goaltender matchup was eclipsed by bad calls, some minor and one major that should have resulted in pink slips all around. There was Dustin Brown breaking Chris Phillips’ stick right out of his hands on a slash directly in front of the official in the first which resulted in no call. There were some questionable minors, but the major error on the night was the penalty shot taken by Lewis in the second period. The ref claimed that Phillips closed his hand on the puck in a crease scramble which resulted in a penalty shot and LA’s 4th goal. Video shows that this did not happen.

One has to ask the question: what’s the ref’s problem with Phillips? The Anaheim ref had an issue with Karlsson, maybe because he’s the highest scoring defenseman in the league, maybe because he’s barely 180 pounds or maybe because he refuses to cut his hair. Phillips was victimized on two pretty obvious calls in the LA game and then there’s the Foligno complex, who’s been a call favourite since his toss up with Crosby. Some players seem to always get the calls against them.

Are these reputation calls? If so, what did they do to deserve these reputations? It’s a given that some players are known for things: agitating, fighting, talking too much, and yes, there are divers in the league. But Karlsson, Phillips and Foligno? What’s going on? This isn’t fan bias or paranoia, although hockey gods could be an explanation.

California has not been kind to Ottawa on this road trip with a loss to Anaheim and LA and some forgettable play. Ottawa seems to be slowing down in anticipation of the upcoming all star break, a mental lapse which explains more than travel and time zone changes. Thankfully there’s only one more desert rumble to go before they take a nice week long break. And it will be a personal trip for Kyle Turris and David Rundblad who were traded for each other not too long ago. Both of them will have something to prove tonight.

The Ottawa Senators looked tired in their 2-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks despite a valiant effort from their goaltender Craig Anderson who has been the team’s rock this season. After a great late game rally against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, the Senators looked slow and sloppy throughout most of this game and the score could have been a lot worse, if not for Anderson’s continued top game.

There were a couple of milestones in this game despite the loss. Alfredsson played his 1100th NHL career game, Chris Neil marked his 700th NHL game, all with the same team and rookie Petersson got his first NHL game after being called up from the AHL. Anaheim is sitting near the bottom of the league, but has been on a hot streak ever since they changed coaches, taking Washington’s ousted Boudreau days after he was fired. Standings aside, this was going to be a hard game for the Senators and it showed.

Anaheim was faster  in charging up to the net where they like to score, and played a tight defense first system that may have been part of Boudreau’s problem in Washington. The Ducks dictated the pace of the game, with lots of energy and crease play, making life pretty tough for both goaltenders. Hiller had an adequate game, but wasn’t challenged the way that Anderson was.

As if the challenges weren’t already numerous enough for Anderson, he didn’t get much help from his team. Chris Neil potted Ottawa’s only goal of the game and came close to scoring a second late in the third, but a lot of the goals in this game were accidental. Defensive brain cramps resulted in Ottawa leaving Corey Perry wide open directly in front of Anderson for Anaheim’s first goal, but adding insult to injury, Karlsson scored off Anderson in a defensive move gone wrong. The goal was credited to Visnoksky.

Calls also didn’t go Ottawa’s way. Michalek took a penalty in the second for closing his hand on the puck in a defensive move, seconds before Bobby Ryan charged him into the net from behind. Condra also took a questionable penalty for tripping Selanne on what looked more like incidental contact.

Despite the errors and questionable calls, this was not a game that Ottawa deserved to win. They didn’t play well and there was no question that they put in a bad effort in this one. They were chasing throughout this entire game and couldn’t generate enough chances for themselves. It was a shame to see them put out such a mediocre effort this afternoon. Hopefully Ottawa can talk it over in their locker room and get some more spring in their step when they take on the LA Kings on Monday night in their continued West end road trip.

There was blood in the shark tank, but it was San Jose that went down to the Ottawa Senators 4-1 in what should have been a major challenge to the reconstructing team. But if there’s anything that fans have learned about this season’s Ottawa Senators it is to expect the unexpected, as they take down some of the league’s titans, besting the Rangers last week and now taking down the top seeded Western San Jose team.

Once again, it didn’t look promising for the Sens in the first period, as the Sharks outshot, outskated, outplayed and generally outclassed Ottawa, but still wound up with a 1-1 tie to begin the second. This was mostly due to the continued great play of Craig Anderson, who’s been lights out lately and showing no signs of slowing down. San Jose truly looked like an elite Western Conference team, with a mind-spinning cycle game and great chip and chase.  But they deflated in the last two periods, when multiple shots on goal resulted in very little to show for it.

It also helps that Ottawa helped generate respect, time and space for Anderson, something that was lacking before. The team as a whole has stepped up to protect what is arguably their best asset. Ottawa looked faster and more dynamic in the second and third, with Turris having another solid game and Greening surprising everyone, including netminder Niemi, with 2 goals on the night. Karlsson also chipped in for a goal top corner that Niemi had little, if no chance at all, of stopping.

The bleeding wasn’t limited to goal scoring. Daugavins and Smith both left this game for Ottawa after a blocking attempt resulting in an injured foot and a minor collision in the neutral zone. Smith was pulled for cautious reasons, so there is a hope that he may be returning to the lineup soon after shaking off some contact. San Jose scrapped it up as well, but left mostly unscathed. It wasn’t for lack of trying, though, as McGinn tried to knee Spezza in the second and thankfully came up a little short- something which isn’t hard to do on a player that size.

The game was a bruiser with some odd penalties and contact taken and Pavelski taking two consecutive tripping penalties one after the other in the third. It was also a milestone night for Sergei Gonchar playing his 1100th game and local Mark Borowiecki playing his first NHL game with family present in the stands. It’s a win that no Senators fan will likely forget anytime soon, as Ottawa continues to be a giantkiller.

Ottawa will face some old demons on Saturday as they move on to Anaheim to take on the ailing Ducks, the team that Ottawa lost to in their only Cup Run in their 20 year franchise back in 2007. A win there would be good for the morale of the team, but also, for the fans.

Every season we expect the unexpected, The National hockey league is the the perfect case for true underdog stories. I follow the Ottawa Senators religiously and if you would have told me the Senators would be on a 8-1-1 run in their last 10 games and sit tied for 4th in the eastern conference on January 19th, I would probably be laughing at you and telling you to get real. How can a Rebuilding team be sitting in 4th place and just a few points back of 1st in their division. Well i guess that makes The Ottawa Senators the most surprising team of the year at this point and hey, they only do lead the league in come from behind wins.

Tonight we see a clash of hot teams, the hottest team in the East, Ottawa 8-1-1 in the last 10 games vs the San Jose Sharks the 2nd hottest team in the West with a 7-1-2 in their last 10 games. Both teams coming off a tough win vs conference opponents, Sens beat Leafs 3-2 and Sharks beat Flames 2-1. The Sharks have the 4th best Home winning record in the west and the Sens have 4th best Road wining record in the east. This is going to be a great match-up.

Daniel Alfredsson needs to continue to be a leader tonight, he was named All star captain and showed excitement yesterday when it was announced, but gaining 2 points tonight will be a little more important as Ottawa needs these points to stay in the playoff hunt. The Sens have the most games played in the NHL and as other teams catch up every point is key.

Key Notes for tonight game and things to watch for:

-Kyle Turris coming off his best game as a Senator vs Toronto, Look for him to find the score-sheet tonight and will we see Alfredsson and Michalek along side him at some point tonight after good success vs the Leafs.

-Jason Spezza already posting 20 goals this season, he is riding a hot stick as of late.

Sharks Notes:

A loss to the Blackhawks earlier this week and they need overtime to beat the flames will scoring be a problem tonight for the sharks?

- Joe Thornton only recorded 1 assist in the last 4 games, he needs to be an impact player for the sharks to be productive.

Puck drop 10:30 eastern time catch it on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada

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Losing a game to Winnipeg: no big deal. Winning the Battle of Ontario in Toronto: priceless. It’s pretty clear which game was the important one for the Senators, as they brought intensity to this 3-2 win, albeit late in the game. The common thread for Ottawa continues with a snoozer of a first period, a stepped up second and an unbelievable third period.

This game started much like the Winnipeg one ended, with some sloppy play and very few good scoring chances. They played terribly up the middle, losing all the little battles in the neutral zone and never getting started in the zone. In the dying seconds of the first period, Alfie managed to tip it in off what was going to be a penalty call when all the Leafs stopped skating. It was a bit of lucky goal, but as they say, you gotta be good to be lucky and lucky to be good.

The luck continued with Spezza’s sprawling stick goal off a kick pass from Daugavins rushing into the crease in the second. Spezza picked up his 20th goal on the season, continuing his hot offensive streak. On a streak of his own, Kyle Turris continues to rack up points as a Senator, with a goal and an assist in this game, with his third period goal from Alfredsson clinching the win for the team. Turris is turning out to be a clutch player, getting timely goals and quickly shedding the old label of overrated which hung all over him in Phoenix. There’s nothing overrated about the Ottawa Senators Turris.

An honorary mention goes to Nick Foligno for fighting Dion Phaneuf. He’s been putting in a solid effort to generate chances and create energy for his team night in and night out, but taking on Phaneuf was not just a great motivator, it was a good tilt. This fight was well justified. While I’m not strongly for fighting, this was not a stage fight. The bad call against Foligno for ‘tripping’ as Phaneuf tried to leap frog him in the second period, compounded by what appeared to be big D’s Oscar performance when he quickly realized the call was going to go his way, led to this fight. Foligno’s jersey pull and quick few punches made this one a winner for Nick.

Picking up the win on the night, and another well deserved one at that, Craig Anderson put up a great performance, giving his team the support that they needed with 37 saves. Anderson’s quickly becoming one of the hardest working and hardest worked goaltenders in the NHL and the entire nation’s capital is watching him with awe, wondering just how far he can go. Can he equal or even outdo his best season with the Colorado Avalanche? Only time will tell, but he’s looking great.

The Ottawa Senators returned home on Monday to face-off with the Winnipeg Jets, after a 3 game road trip which saw them pick up wins in Pittsburgh, New York and Montreal. The Sens were flat last night and ended up on the loosing end, being shutout for the 1st time this season and ending there unbeaten streak.

The Sens now hit the road for a 5 game road trip out west with a quick stop in Toronto tonight, as the battle of Ontario heats up with both team battling for points and are in the playoff picture as of today. The Sens are tied with the Flyers for 4th in the east with 56 pts and the Leafs sit in 9th. The Sens have a tough test coming on as they travel to San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Phoenix and finished off in Boston. This could make of break the Senators playoff push, all depending on the outcome of the 6 game trip. If all goes well this could determine if the Sens become buyers or seller or stay put with the re-tooling process.

The Sens have recalled Defenceman Mark Borowecki and Forward Andre Petterson who has 11pts in the last 6 games from AHL affiliate Binghamton. Another good chance for younger player to showcase what they got and for the Sens organization to determine what needs to addressed as the they move forward