All their bags are packed and they're ready to go....
Well perhaps not quite yet as they don't have to leave for Thursday's game in Montreal quite yet, but their longest road trip of the season in terms of time and distance is about to kick off in earnest and they will be dragging the anchor of a 6 game losing streak along with them.
The Islanders were the latest team to take advantage of a team looking for an identity, hanging on for a 2-1 win after the Senators got a couple of "finally"s under their belt.
Matt Duchene finally got his first point as a Senator, and after going 0-for their last 5 games, that goal came on the power play. Duchene was visually relieved as you can bet that was playing on his mind, especially the fact that it coincided with the longest losing streak of the season for his new team.
The goal came late, and provided a spark to the team, and although they were unable to come up with the equalizer the last four and a half minutes was some of the most intense and desperate hockey they have played since returning from Sweden.
Hopefully that bodes well and carries over to Thursday, as well as the fact that Duchene was finally put on a line with Mark Stone, which is, more often than not, the cure for what ails you.
Alas, it is a losing streak until you finally win, and it wasn't a winning night. Craig Anderson, who apparently went in during the day to the coaches office and all but demanded the net, was beat twice and looked silly on the game winner from Jordan Eberle, when the former Oiler zigged when Anderson thought he was going to zag and Eberle had an open net from the slot because Anderson couldn't see the zig through traffic.
The Senators will play their next 7 on the road - Montreal, New York Islanders - Winnipeg - Anaheim - LA - San Jose and finally Buffalo before returning home. With Carey Price back and pitching a shutout on Saturday, Buffalo looks like the only one that could be a gimme the way the Sens are playing, and that is 6 games from now.
Hopefully Duchene's goal turns a corner for the player and team and they can put together a streak of good to counter the bad they are going through now.