The Ottawa Senators will do something tonight that they haven't done in over a month - try to put together a 3 game winning streak.
The last time Ottawa won back to back games, it was in Sweden where they swept the Colorado Avalanche in the Global Series.
It wasn't a good time for the Senators upon returning from overseas, going 1-11-2 in their next 14 games, which included a mammoth and difficult 7 game road trip.
Upon returning home, the Senators have finally won back to back games, including a 3-0 shutout over the Canadiens in the outdoor game on Saturday night.
Now, with the majority of the distractions behind them, they can hopefully settle in and get back to the normalcy of the season and focus on winning games and not the distractions around them.
The Minnesota Wild, who provide the opposition for the Senators tonight, are coming in off back to back losses, including Sunday in Chicago to kick off their current four game pre-Christmas Road trip. Ironically both teams will head to Florida for a pair of games before heading into the holiday break.
While taking anything from the success on the ice in the outdoor game would be a mistake because of the conditions and many variables that they don't normally have to encounter, perhaps they can gain a bit of confidence from it, most importantly Craig Anderson. For his struggles and the weaknesses that have shown themselves from time to time over the years, the truth is that when he gets on a hot streak and "in the zone" there are few goalies out there that are better, and that is what the Senators need right now. It hasn't been present so far this season, but what the Senators really need is a goalie that will make the saves they should make and then some.
They have some work to do, trailing the third place Bruins by 8 points, and have to leapfrog the Red Wings and Habs along the way. The Senators will meet Boston twice between Christmas and New Years, a set that could go a long way to closing the gap, if the Senators can play at the top of their game over the holidays.
If they revert to the level of play that they exhibited on the road trip, they will be in the running for Rasmus Dahlin moreso than a playoff spot in April.
So while tonight's game against a non-conference opponent might not be the sexiest matchup of the season, keeping the momentum going in the right direction and putting the bad feelings back in the past makes it a pretty important game.