Crossing the NHL’s Atlantic Division: Week 15
By Tim Bayer
Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
Ottawa Senators
By Jared Crozier, Editor of SenShot
The Senators have taken advantage of the struggles of the teams directly in front of them (Toronto and Detroit) and gone on a rare winning streak. They continued that streak with a road win over the archrival Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, extending it to a season high of four games. They currently sit in a pack of three teams just two points out of a playoff spot.
The play of Craig Anderson has picked up since the pressure of playing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team has lifted. Cody Ceci, the Senators first-round pick in 2012, has steadily improved and is earning top-four minutes to go along with the trust of Paul MacLean in important situations.
The Senators have continued playing well despite the absence of Jason Spezza, leading the ever-present group of Spezza haters to wonder if the Sens need their new captain after all. Spezza is scheduled to return Wednesday in Colorado, so he had better perform closer to expectations or the grumbling will grow louder.