After a team is eliminated from playoff contention, there are still reasons for a team to play hard. Self pride, competitive spirit and jobs for next year for a lot of players are a couple, and then there is always the old "play the spoiler" role.
Ottawa could find itself in that as they wind down the season, with the last game of the year on Saturday in Boston, a day that could very likely see the Bruins with their fate in their own hands (or the Senators' hands for that matter).
The Bruins are in a dog-fight with the Red Wings and Flyers for the last two playoff spots, with the Flyers holding the upper hand in part due to the Senators' lack of interest in playing the spoiler for them on Saturday afternoon. (aside: I didn't get to see that game and after the last time I tried to recap without seeing the game things went badly, hence no recap yesterday).
So does a team need something to play for, or is it just because the Bruins are the team that they face, is there more satisfaction in not seeing them in the post-season instead of the Red Wings, per se?
The next two games are against teams that have already clinched playoff spots (Pens & Panthers), although Florida is still battling for first in the division.
Toronto and coach Mike Babcock faced a similar situation on Saturday night, and that was more unique given that it was Babcock's former team, one that he had carried to so many consecutive playoff berths, that had their life on the line. The Leafs played valiantly but ended up falling short, but certainly didn't throw in the towel.
So if there is there a team you would rather see in the playoffs, the Bruins, for example, would you care if the Senators dropped the game to Boston if it meant them getting into a playoff spot?
Then there is the "tank" issue, but at this point in time they are more likely to lose ground in terms of draft position with wins rather than gain ground with losses (sitting 3 points up on the Habs.
I wish I could believe that there was some sort of Karma that would reward playing hard right down to the end, but I am not sure that exists.