The Senators wrap up their home schedule Thursday night as they host the Florida Panthers on Fan Appreciation Night. That should have read the Atlantic Division Champion Florida Panthers, because they clinched the division with a win on Tuesday night, meaning they will get a wild card opponent and have home ice for the first two round of the playoffs.
The win also clinched the first 100 point season in franchise history. I didn't have them pegged as a playoff team at the beginning of the season, although I had them on the bubble and I never would have thought they would be in the position they are now. There were those who believed that this was the year for their jump, but I wasn't one of them and though it would take another season or maybe two.
However, the ageless Jaromir Jagr and Roberto Luongo led the way and the youth like Sasha Barkov, Jonathan Huberdaue and Vincent Trochek (among others) made great strides and followed the lead and credit to them for getting where they are. Every year since I have been writing about the Senators I wonder if the last appearance of Jagr in any given season will be the last ever, but I won't wonder that any more as he seems to be enjoying the game as much as he ever did and is relishing his role and wants to continue playing for some time. So see you next year, Jags.
Ottawa will ice a young lineup again, but could get Marc Methot back and Bobby Ryan is questionable after leaving Tuesday's loss with a leg injury. It was an optional skate for the club this morning, with Ryan, Mark Stone, Alex Chiasson, Patrick Wiercioch all skating after missing or leaving practice yesterday with an assortment of ailments, but not sure if any or all will be available. Stone was ruled out earlier but who knows if he will want to get back in for the last couple of games.
Craig Anderson will start in goal for the Senators, who signed Andreas Englund to his entry level contract yesterday, adding depth for next season as he will start his North American career.
Erik Karlsson will continue his Norris quest, after reaching the remarkable 80 point barrier, he will attempt to remain in the top 5 of NHL scoring. Since Bobby Orr won the scoring title in 1974-75, only 2 defensemen have finished in the top 5 - Paul Coffey and Denis Potvin.
Coffey turned the trick 3 years in a row, between 1983-84 and 1985-86. He won the Norris on the last two of those seasons, but was beaten out by Rod Langway in 83-84. Coffey had 40 goals and 126 points (and a +52) that season and Langway had 9 goals and 33 points (+14). So for those of you who think that the Norris is for "defensemen", that was Langway's second straight Norris and also the last time it was awarded to a player who didn't have a ton of offensive upside since Orr changed the way defensemen of skill play the game.
Potvin finished in the top 5 just once, also winning the Norris that season (1977-78).
Karlsson is certainly in rarefied air, doing something that hasn't been done in his lifetime, let alone career, and the fact that he has done it without the strength of a playoff-calibre supporting cast makes it even more remarkable.
Pretty much all that is left to play for are a number of individual accomplishments that like it or not do mean something. There are a number of players adding to career highs and chasing individual achievements, such as Mike Hoffman and his chase for 30 goals (sitting at 29 entering the game). Hoffman is also 2 points away from 60, Mika Zibanejad is a goal away from a 2nd consecutive 20 goal seasons and a point away from 50.
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