The Senators of Old?

After a disappointing loss to the Leafs on Saturday, the Senators needed to redeem themselves against the Canadiens. However, they fell short of that goal. That has people questioning the Senators' ability to win important games.

As Senators' critics (mainly Leaf fans) love to remind anybody who will listen, the situation that the Senators find themselves in is rather familiar...taking a stroll down memory lane...it wasn’t too long ago that the Senators were known to choke when it came to important games.

And these final games of the season are as important as they get. The Senators have not guaranteed themselves a playoff spot. Will they be able to do it or will they fall prey to their old ways? 

That is a question on the mind of many Senator fans and any true fan will tell you—of course they will make it to the playoffs. They can still even finish in the top four.

The Senators lost the “chokers” reputation and earned respect around the league after making it to the Stanley Cup finals last year. Proving they were the real deal and not the Maple Leafs’ whipping boys. The Senators continued to dazzle at the beginning of the season with an impressive 15-2 start. Sure, things haven’t gone so well of late.

But seriously, there is no need to hit the panic button. The Senators still hold the cards to their own destiny. It’s quite simple. 

The Senators currently have 89 points. To lock in a playoff berth they need to be at least .500 for the remaining six regular-season games taking them to 95 points. If they don’t manage to do that, then the Washington Capitals can surpass them. Sitting two points out of a playoff berth, the Capitals can still pick up a possible twelve points, taking them to 94 points. 

And the Leafs are still hanging around. But come on, their chances of making it to the playoffs are about as good as Chris Pronger’s chances of winning the Lady Bing Award.

The question remains, will the Senators do it? 

Yes they will. With the fire power of Heatley, Spezza, and Alfredsson the Senators will finish in the top eight. Watch them turn things around with the remaining six games.

So for those who sprained their ankles jumping off the bandwagon—you might want to get back on it because these Senators are the real deal and are going all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.