Neil doing what he can to help Sens win from sidelines

The hitter turned designated sitter, Chris Neil is trying to find a new way to help the team. With his superstitions. “If we’re on the road, I watch (the game) in the suite,” the 37-year-old winger said Thursday morning. “If we’re at home, I usually do a workout, a ride (on the stationary bike) and watch it down here for the first couple of periods. If the guys are winning, I stay in the same spot. If not, I’ll switch it up and hopefully try to get a couple of goals for us out of it.”

A veteran of more than 1,000 games with the Senators and still one of the team’s assistant captains, Neil has been shuttled to the sidelines. He had played just one game in the last two months, a meaningless season finale against the Islanders. He’s healthy and anxious to go, but currently not even an option coach Guy Boucher is considering — despite the fact the Rangers were the most physical team in the first round of the playoffs.

“It’s tough to watch when you see guys taking runs at Erik (Karlsson) and other guys on our team,” said Neil. “If I’m out there I can do something about it, and if I’m not, I can’t.”

When the Senators played the Rangers in the 2012 playoffs, they were even bigger underdogs than they are this spring. They finished the season with 17 points fewer than New York, but took the first round series to seven games before finally going down to defeat by a goal.

Neil was a force for the Senators, scoring the overtime winner in Game 2 and put Ottawa on the board first in Game 6, when it had a chance to wrap up the series at home.

He also led the Senators with 27 hits.

“It was a good series,” said Neil. “We felt we should have come out on top.”

Neil hasn’t been told by Boucher to make sure he’s ready in case he’s needed, but that would be an unnecessary conversation.

As his days dwindle down with the Senators, Neil is prepared to jump into the battle, and if it doesn’t happen he’s trying to find other ways to lead.

“We’re here every day, we’re all together,” said Neil. “If you have a close group, guys will do anything for one another.

“Last time we played the Rangers in the playoffs we were like that, and we’re like that this year, too. Everyone cares for one another and the guys who have come in have fit in well.

“We’ve got lots of guys and you just wait for your opportunity to come in and do what you do.”