Daniel Alfredsson Hurt

Now is the time for veteran forward Alex Kovalev to step up and lead the Ottawa Senators. It hasn’t been a smooth season to say the least for the 36 year-old veteran who in his first season with Ottawa has been criticized for his inconsistency. Even though he is on pace for only 16 goals and 46 points Kovalev can quickly become a fan favourite if he can get on a roll during this crucial time for the Senators. Barely clinging to a playoff spot Ottawa suffered a huge loss on Wednesday night when their leading scorer Daniel Alfredsson badly injured his shoulder during an 8-2 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alfredsson who joins another top scorer in Jason Spezza on the disabled list had his arm tightly wound in a sling after the game and is expected to be out for a few weeks. “I’m trying to reach for the puck,” Alfredsson said about the incident in the opening period when he was hit by Craig Adams. “In the position I am in there, I’m pretty vulnerable…and he stepped into me.”  Despite the fact that Alfredsson’s helmet came spinning off in what was a check in the head area Adams wasn’t assessed a penalty on the play. Senators coach Cory Clouston refused to comment on the hit but did say that he will comment on Alfredsson’s status on Saturday prior to their game against the Buffalo Sabres.