Make sure to follow Travis on Twitter!
--
With two more days before the Ottawa Senators are back in action, the team has plenty of time to prepare for their next opponent in the New York Rangers. They'll square off on Wednesday at Scotiabank Place. And, before you ask, Wojtek Wolski will not be in the lineup, as he's been placed on injured reserve.
Still, there's plenty to discuss, especially with a team gearing up for a brutal schedule in the month of November.
---First and foremost, some good news on the Daniel Alfredsson front, as he's now back skating and says he feels fine. Alfredsson could take his baseline test as early as Tuesday, but don't expect him back for Wednesday's tilt against New York. The coaching staff's going to ease the captain back in the lineup with the hopes of burying any post-concussion symptoms permanently.
-Nikita Filatov was again assigned to the Binghamton Senators. Not a big surprise here, especially considering how Paul MacLean has gleamed about the likes of Colin Greening and Kaspars Daugavins. To get into that top-six, Filatov will need to be better. He'll (again) work on his game down in Binghamton, picking up major minutes and using his skill set accordingly.
---The fans and coaches alike knew that this team would come back down to Earth after an exhilirating six-game winning streak, but the three-game (and counting) slide isn't a great way to jump into an incredibly tough schedule. After Wednesday's game against the New York Rangers, Ottawa will head into the toughest part of their 82-game slate, with nine of the next ten games on the road. Think of it like this - between now and December 5th, Ottawa will play just one(!) game at Scotiabank Place; a November 27th tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes.
It's going to be the biggest test of the season - that much is certain. The question is how the team responds. I think it's huge that Daniel Alfredsson might be ready to go for the start of it this weekend in Buffalo and Toronto, as we've already seen how this team positively responds to the play of their captain.
At .500, Ottawa's already exceeded expectations, and the fans have - for the most part - thoroughly enjoyed watching them compete. Yet, a lengthy-losing streak away from the nation's capital could leave a sour taste in this team's mouth when they return from December.
The sad part? It might be the reality. A quick look at the teams they'll play, and I can't see more than one game that they'll be favored in. Their one decent shot comes against Winnipeg on the 29th.
Consider some of the teams they play during this stretch, too: Buffalo, Toronto, Dallas, Washington, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Pittsburgh. Hell, their first-game back after wrapping up this trip is against Tampa Bay, who was an Eastern Conference finalist last season.
---
UPDATED(2:00 PM EST): Scouts are being sent to take in the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks game at Scottrade on Tuesday. The front office is remaining extremely active. Feels like they're scouting half of the league right now.
---Am I the only one who finds the firing of Davis Payne and subsequent hiring of Ken Hitchcock a little bizarre? In a blog dated August 17th, 2011, I mentioned that Davis Payne was a real candidate for the NHL's proverbial 'hot seat'. The Blues' lackluster production as a team really was (is) concerning, especially considering how much talent is on that roster. And, there was already conjecture about the viability of Payne as a long-term coach, hence why I had him pegged for a potential removal if this team missed the playoffs.
But, getting axed a dozen games into the season? No, that's odd, especially for a team playing 'average' hockey. And, the optics of the story are a complete mess. Ken Hitchcock was contacted and hired on the same day. I'm sorry, but that's not how an NHL front office works.
I won't rumor monger, but my best guess is that the St. Louis Blues and bench boss Davis Payne had some behind-the-scenes trouble that prompted this premature move. I didn't like Payne as a coach, but this whirlwind of moves is - quite frankly - astounding.
---Tim Connolly's out for at least two (more) weeks with another upper body injury, unrelated to the shoulder injury that kept him out in the beginning of the season. Water is wet, grass is green, etc.
It has to be disappointing for Maple Leafs fans who were expecting a decent amount of production from the center, but Senators fans can relate. Ottawa finally cut their losses with Pascal Leclaire, a talented goalie who simply could not stay healthy. Tim Connolly's trekking down that same path. For the sake of his own career, I hope he can piece it all together when he does return to full health.
Overall, a bad break for a Toronto Maple Leafs team with only two weaknesses right now - down the middle, and on the penalty kill. They need a healthy Tim Connolly in order to compete against the best for an 82-game season. Now, they'll need to again lean on their top-tier scoring which has vaulted them near the top of the Eastern Conference.
Hey, I'm not betting against Phil Kessel right now.
--
KINDLE USERS: Please subscribe to Senators Buzz; a one-stop feed for all things Sens-related on HockeyBuzz. Content is automatically updated whenever a new blog is published. For more information,
click here.
Thanks for reading!
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»