The OT loss suffered by the Senators was a bad result no matter which camp you are in - the tank or the playoff push. The single point wasn't enough to keep pace with winning Boston, and the Senators lost ground and now sit 11 points back.
The Senators point also gained ground on the Edmonton-Buffalo turtle race for last place at least in the conference. Edmonton's shootout win actually brought them even with the Sabres at 31 points, tied for 29th and 30th.
It was another case of one being there for the taking, and while the optimist would see it as a good thing that they have been in so many games lately, with chances to win, the pessimist would question the finishing ability of the team and its killer instinct. Personally, I would fall under the optimist umbrella in that there are a lot of good things happening of late.
Most notably for me is the improved overall play of Erik Karlsson, who with Marc Methot back has regained Norris-type form. Last night was his first minus game since Dec 20th, and he has 8 points and is a +7 in his last 10 games. Whether it is Dave Cameron's system, Methot's return or simply Karlsson adapting his game to his surroundings, it is good to see him back in form which bodes well for coming seasons.
This is also a very young team that can and will develop that winning ability, it just might not happen as quickly as some of you would like. They played right with one of the top (and hottest) teams in the East and were a shot away from winning. But then again, that was also the case on Saturday against one of the bottom feeders of the conference, so what can you really gleam from that?
So there is one more piece of business before the All-Star break, and with a full week off after tonight's game, the Senators need to avoid looking past this game. That is because the circus show that is the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town, and they are ripe for the picking. The Leafs have been shut out 3 times and scored just twice in their last 5 games, and the media is all over them as they have slid down the standings having won just 3 of their last 16 games. The Leafs now sit just 2 points up on the Senators and the Sens have 2 games in hand, for those of you who care if the Sens finish ahead of the Leafs, which I don't necessarily understand, but I know you are out there.