No room for complacency in Senators dressing room
After almost four months of looking up at a playoff spot, the Ottawa Senators return to practice Wednesday on the inside looking out.
They insist their attitudes won’t and shouldn’t change just because they now hold the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Boston Bruins.
“You can’t take it for granted in this league,” says winger Bobby Ryan. “Boston is going to win games. Everybody is going to win games. Complacency is one of those things we can’t allow to slip in here.”
Ryan suggests that the club’s veterans need to raise their voices a bit louder, just to make sure that point is clear.
Coach Dave Cameron insists he isn’t concerned, given what he has observed in the past month.
“They seem to be even-keeled,” he says. “Through this whole thing, the thing that has impressed me most has been the calmness, through the highs and lows. They seem to have a mature calm to them about their game. They realize it’s not going to get any easier. We can’t afford to take our foot off the gas.”
The Senators lead the Bruins by one point. The Senators have 10 games remaining and the Bruins nine. But if the Senators lose in regulation to the New York Rangers Thursday and the Bruins defeat Anaheim, the teams will change positions once again.
Tuesday was an off-day for the Senators and the biggest question was about the health of Hammond, who was having treatment following Monday’s 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks — he was shaken up following a third-period goal mouth collision with Logan Couture — and was unavailable for comment.
Following the game, Cameron said he believed Hammond would be ready for Thursday’s game. ECHL call-up Chris Driedger is the current backup and the club remains optimistic that Craig Anderson will be available to at least back up Hammond for weekend games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.
Hammond is 14-0-1, with a 1.67 goals against average and .946 save percentage. With a point Thursday, he would tie Patrick Lalime’s NHL record for longest start to an NHL career without suffering a regulation defeat. Lalime was 140-2 with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1996-97.
During Hammond’s 15 starts, he has allowed only five third period goals and his teammates would like nothing better than to help him set the NHL mark.
“I can’t say enough for Hammer,” says defenceman Marc Methot. “We all love the guy and the attitude he brings for games. He is in there throwing a med ball around before the (San Jose) game, warming up like all the rest of us. We have a lot of respect for him. The way he has come in and handled all this responsibility has been incredible. I think this gives us a lot of incentive to work hard for him.”