Elimination looms for Sens

OTTAWA Pasted on the door of the Ottawa Senators dressing room at Canadian Tire Centre is a big picture of the Stanley Cup. But without a victory in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final, hopes of winning it for the first time in franchise history will evaporate.

The Senators will be facing elimination on Tuesday evening, trailing 3-2 to a Pittsburgh Penguins squad that “slapped” them 7-0 on Sunday afternoon.

“We can’t be sitting in our mud puddle,” head coach Guy Boucher said after practice on Monday afternoon. “We’ve got to get up and go.”

Boucher has typically kept his team off the ice on off-days during the post-season, but opted for a half-hour practice ahead of Game 6 to help his team “refresh” and “reload” after one of the worst losses in team playoff history. Players thought the practice, as well as an encouraging chat beforehand, helped wipe the slate clean.

The on-ice session didn’t include captain Erik Karlsson, Derick Brassard or Cody Ceci — all of whom exited the weekend debacle early with injury — but all are expected in the lineup for Game 6. Mark Borowiecki is also a possibility to draw back in for the first time since the opening round against Boston.

Reloading against an opponent vying for back-to-back Stanley Cups means reverting back to strengths of the club, Boucher said.