Senators opt for more rest over morning skate
Guy Boucher has opted for rest over repetition in these playoffs.
While the Ottawa Senators’ head coach declared his disdain for morning skates during the regular season, he rarely cancelled them.
With the Senators in the East final, Boucher has decided there likely won’t be morning practices during Round 3.
Instead of gathering at the rink in the morning to skate and meet with the media, the Senators have held meetings and lunch at their downtown hotel before the first group heads to the rink about 3.5 hours before the game.
This latest practice started before Game 6 against the Rangers last week at Madison Square Garden.
“Like I said before, we’ve got nothing to practise now,” Boucher said before facing the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in Game 2 of the East final Tuesday.
“It’s been over 100 games. Players have had a lot of games to play and a lot of guys are banged up. It’s not time to do more, it’s time to take the energy we need just like we did against the Rangers.”
The players, who had Sunday off as well, seem to be enjoying the new schedule.
“It’s been huge,” Senators centre Kyle Turris said.
“It’s the time of the year where everybody on every team is beat up and worn down.
“Energy is key. To be able to have a full day to recover, the day after the game. … We didn’t skate this morning either, so we really maximize the recovery opportunity we get.
“It allows us to fully recover and motivates us to play well so we don’t have to skate moving forward.”
Turris said it’s an “unspoken understanding that if he’s going to give us the time off, he expects us to come out with a lot of energy. Otherwise, there’s no point in doing it.”
The Senators made no changes for Game 2 because winger Viktor Stalberg wasn’t ready to return from his undisclosed injury.