Ottawa Senators: Keepin' It Strong

The Ottawa Senators have every reason to celebrate.

The team is dominating the Eastern Conference for the second year in a row, leading the board with 62 points so far in the season.

The team’s current record stands at 29-11-04, compared to 26-19-02 at this time last year, according to the Senators’ website.

The New Jersey Devils are in second, but trailing by a substantial seven points.

With the season just half over, the players and coaching staff are feeling confident with where the team is currently sitting.

Captain Daniel Alfredsson explained, “We’ve got to be happy with where we are, there’s no question. We had the one (bad) stretch but even then, there were a few games we should have won and found a way to lose. But I think it’s been a good first half.”

Consistency is the problem observed by center Jason Spezza as well.

According to Spezza, “Some nights, we don’t give up any chances and are real hard to play against and on other nights, we’re a bit looser and give up a few more chances and take a few more penalties. I think once you get the combination of everything going together and everybody working the same way, it gets better.”

Spezza is also expected to return to the lineup after sitting out the second and third periods against the Islanders on Sunday. Joining him against the Capitals on Tuesday will be teammate Patrick Eaves, who has missed the last 24 games with a separated shoulder.

Injuries have been putting a dent in the powerhouse first line, with Dany Heatley expected to sit the next six weeks, also with a shoulder injury. But with the return of Spezza and Eaves, the Senators are expected to continue to dominate.

Senator coaches are also consciously trying to avoid falling into the trap that has caught other NHL teams.

In recent years, teams who had made the finals failed to do so the following year. In the 2006-2007 season, both the Edmonton Oilers and the Carolina Hurricanes failed to even qualify for the playoffs. It was a first for the league to have neither of the teams who played in the finals make it to the post-season.

 “I like where we are,” Senators head coach John Paddock said. “We’ve been (on top) from the start to this time, and I think we’ve withstood the challenges of that.”