Stalberg believes Sens are for real
Viktor Stalberg has only been around the Ottawa Senators for five days.
Yet after playing his part in a pair of low-scoring victories following last week’s trade from the Carolina Hurricanes, he’s full of confidence about how far the club might go.
“We’re playing really solid defensively and we’re not giving up a lot of Grade A chances,” said Stalberg, who potted his first goal with the Senators in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Columbus.
“A lot of the shots that are taken are from pretty far out and (Craig Anderson) sees them pretty well. Our defencemen are doing a good job of boxing out and the other teams get frustrated.
“It’s a team that’s built for the playoffs and we can do some damage if we get in. We’ve got to make sure we keep working hard to make sure we do.”
The Senators need no reminders about what’s at stake when the suddenly surging Boston Bruins arrive at Canadian Tire Centre on Monday. The Bruins have gone 8-2-0 since Bruce Cassidy replaced Claude Julien as coach.
The Senators are second in the Atlantic Division, two points ahead of the Bruins. The Senators have played two fewer games, but if the standings were to finish as they are today, the clubs would meet in the first round of the playoffs.
Yet the way Zack Smith sees it, it’s too early to start thinking about the second season. The Senators have 19 more regular-season games to prove they belong in the post-season.
“Those games (like Saturday) are nice to win, but I think we still have a bit to go yet until we’re there,” said Smith, who took over the NHL lead with his fourth short-handed goal of the season Saturday. “Some of the games we’ve relied on our goaltenders a lot.”
Senators coach Guy Boucher is encouraged by what the additions of Stalberg and Alex Burrows have meant for his forward lines. Following the wins over Columbus and Colorado he has talked about the additional “juice” his players have because he can spread out the ice time.
Smith, though, insists the Senators have room to improve.
“It’s just a few things to clean up and we have some new faces,” he said. “They ’ve done a great job of adjusting and picking it up right from the start, but as a team we still have a little way to go until we’re at our best.”