‘You feel helpless’
Injured Phillips itching to get back after watching team’s blowout loss
Chris Phillips has rarely sat out during the course of an NHL career that has lasted for 1,090 games, but when an undisclosed lower body injury forced him out of lineup Tuesday, he didn’t like the view from the sidelines very much.
“It’s tough, you’re sitting there and you feel helpless,” Phillips said of the 5-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. “You want to be out there helping and contributing.”
The Senators are being cautious about whatever ails Phillips, but after going through the full practice Thursday, all signs point to him returning against the Boston Bruins Friday.
“In conversations with him, I think we’re going to make a final decision tomorrow, but it appears likely that he will play,” said coach Paul MacLean.
There’s nothing flashy about the Big Rig’s game, but the Senators clearly missed Phillips and his defensive presence against the Flyers.
“You can tell from practice where we need to be better. We’ve had couple of good practices on that and carry into tomorrow,” said Phillips of two sessions that involved plenty of work on the breakout.
As an alternate captain, Phillips says part of his job is to keep players focused on the next game, not on the ugliness of the last one.
“We don’t get into storylines,” he said. “We’re not even thinking about the last one. We look at it and see where we need to get better and move on. It’s the same if we win 5-0 and think it’s going to happen again. It’s a long season and one of my roles as a veteran guy is to (remind players) that we can’t get caught up in the roller-coaster.
“You have to stay levelheaded and concentrate on the next game.”
If Phillips does return, two other defencemen will have to sit.
While eight is more than enough on the blue-line, the predicament for the Senators is that only one of them — Mark Borowiecki — can be assigned to Binghamton of the American Hockey League without first clearing waivers.
IDENTITY FIRST, GOALS SECOND
Colin Greening would like nothing better than to break out of season-long scoring slump with a hat trick against the Bruins, but he doesn’t believe that his role on the Senators is defined by how many points he gets.
Greening, who tipped the puck wide after a perfect feed from Jason Spezza in Tuesday’s defeat to the Flyers, will start Friday’s game as a left winger on a line with Zack Smith and Chris Neil. Greening has no goals and three assists in 18 games.
The main goal is to get the puck deep in the opponents’ end, to punish the defence and to play sound defence. Now, if offence somehow comes out of that, all the better.
All things considered, there’s less pressure to hit the scoresheet when you’re given such a role.
“When you’re on a line that’s not defined by points, that’s fair, but I think overall, every single person puts enough pressure on themselves, whatever line they’re on,” said Greening. “It’s tough sometimes when you put added pressure on yourself. I’ve played on different lines, I’ve had to take on different responsibilities, but I feel like my role is the same.”
However, Greening, who has had only 16 shots on goal in 18 games, realizes that eventually he has to get into better scoring positions.
“Right now, I don’t think I’m giving myself that (opportunity to score) enough, but in the last four or five games, it’s better,” he said. “I’m finishing checks. It’s kind of like a cycle with these things. Sometimes you’re hot, sometimes you’re cold.”
CONDRA STAYS OUT
Right winger Erik Condra practised again Thursday, but MacLean says he probably won’t return to the lineup Friday against Boston. The more likely return date is Sunday versus the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The lines at practice Friday were Milan Michalek-Jason Spezza-Cory Conacher, Clarke MacArthur-Kyle Turris-Bobby Ryan, Greening-Smith-Neil, Matt Kassian-Derek GrantMika Zibanejad.
The defence pairings were Marc Methot-Erik Karlsson, Jared Cowen-Patrick Wiercioch, Mark BorowieckiEric Gryba and Phillips-Joe Corvo. That, however, could change, depending on whether or not Phillips returns.