One team has something to play for, while the other team is just playing for pride. Such is the case, and will be for much of the remaining 30 games of the season for the Ottawa Senators. That is a long time to play that way, and also to keep the disgruntled fan base interested and engaged.
But the games must go on, and at some point you have to think that the Senators will add some youth to the lineup to gain NHL experience, whether that be through trading veterans who are just taking up roster space right now, or rotating them out.
Until then, it will be more of the same, inconsistent win one, lose two, win two, lose three program that they have been going through for the better part of three months now.
The only advice I can offer is to take the good and positive when you can get it, and as hard as it is, put the negative aside, knowing that sacrificing wins now hopefully means better things for the future.
The Devils come to town tonight, a team that is in the middle of an 8 team dogfight in the Metropolitan Division. All eight teams are separated by just 10 points, and the Devils are in second place and need to keep winning to hold off the chase pack.
New Jersey entered the All-Star break on a four game slide, but the break did them some good and they have won all three games since they came back, making up some much needed ground in the playoff race. Their last two wins came against Divisional rivals in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, who are both among the teams chasing them for positioning.
It is no coincidence that the Devils 4 game slide pre-All-Star started in the game that Taylor Hall was injured and forced him out of the All-Star game, with Brian Boyle taking his place. Since Hall's return the Devils have won all three games and he is on a personal 10 game points streak (6G, 9A) to lead his team.
They have kept pace even without Cory Schneider, who has been sidelined since January 23rd with a groin injury and Keith Kinkaid has been handling a bulk of the work, and is expected to start tonight against the Senators. It is Craig Anderson's turn to try to do what neither he or Mike Condon has done very much this season - win back to back starts after putting a solid effort in on Saturday in Philadelphia.
The Senators will skate this morning, at which time it will be determined if Mark Stone and/or Bobby Ryan will be returning tonight, or any time soon for that matter.
So while the Devils have to be licking their lips at the prospect of getting two points out of Ottawa tonight, the Senators have to be resigned to playing spoiler.