Sooo, once again the Zamboni comes up aces with the right sugestions at the right time. Is it such a well kept secret that I'm Cory Clouston's evil twin brother in disguise? Ooops, the cat's out of the back...



No, in all honesty, I can't complain, and I''m not saying anything that any Senators fan out there didn't already know. The mix of offense and defense and goaltending we're looking for is not new, getting it all together is the toughie. Constantly bringing your "A" game is not only tiring and difficult, it also leads to injuries.

But back to what was asked for and delivered. A few names stand out.: Andy Sutton, Erik Karlsson, Peter Regin, Anton Volchenkov, Daniel Alfredsson, and Jason Spezza. Those six were most impressive in deliering a total game. Sutton was a defensive powerhouse: checking at the blue line, blocking shots, and participating on the offensive, Volchenkov was cruicial on the D again, even turning himself into a goaltender at times, and getting a nice breakaway that almost paid off. Alfie was, once again, everywhere on the ice, and was one of the keys to the win with smart offensive and defensive plays. Regin was a welcome suprise as he more than once folded back into the defensive zone and fought hard for the puck, and stymied the Habs. He was also a factor on the offensive, which is no suprpise when you're flanked with Spezza and Alfie.

Spezza was once again a welcome surprise, not only was he a factor offensively, but he also came back on the defense and made smart plays there too, and used his body a lot. A total surprise for Spezza. That he paid for his checking most of the time by winding up sprawled on the ice is moot; Spezza was checking. I saved the best for last: Karlsson was HUGE for the Sens. And he seems to have taken matters to heart, absorbing the checks, moving the puck smartly, skating beautifully, and showing amazing patience for a 19-year-old. That he was rewarded with a goal and an assist is poetic justice.

Let's not forget the work of Brian Elliott who was there when he needed to be. There are times where the Sens defense collapsed and made mistakes, and Elliott was there to make those saves (except when Sutton or A-Train were there in his stead). It was a total team effort, and one that I hope the Sens build on.