It should have been a romp over the Blues on Thursday, but I saw something that has come back to haunt the Senators time and again and that must be eradicated once and for all: sitting on their laurels.



It very nearly cost them the game. If it hadn't been for the timely goal by Chris Phillips in the third frame, well... Settling for the chance of a single point is not the way to get ready to face four conference rivals. The Senators who had the Blues on the ropes for most of the game and had almost doubled them in shots on goal in the first two periods, started playing the old 1 forward 4 back game in the third. And that game doesn't work for the Sens.

The reason the Blues were on the ropes is that the Senators had been pressing hard, forechecking hard, with two players forward even without puck possession. The opposition can't score if they can't come close to your goal. By playing the 1 up - 4 back, the Sens were allowing the opposition to at least make it to the neutral zone. Theoretically, the 1-4 game forces the opposition to face the bulk of your team before they enter the defensive zone. In reality, the Blues had no problems gaining the zone, and placing a very lobsided 15-3 shots on goal.

The Senators have known success of late by flooding the opposition and cornering them in their own zone, and with lively backchecking and fighting for the puck in the defensive zone. Now's not the time to play with a winning combination. When you have your adversary on the ropes with a one goal lead, you don't leave them any breathing room.