A tough one for the Senators today. Road games are hard, especially back-to-back ones.



After wrapping up their game at 10:00 last night in Buffalo, the team quickly had to change to board a bus to the airport and catch a flight to Ottawa.  They likely arrived in the wee hours of the morning, catching, still wired form the game and the change in scenery, it was likely hard to fall asleep. After too short a night, they got up and took yet another bus to practice, a bus back to the hotel, and then some free time or a nap, before coming back to the arena to get ready for the game.

It is a punishing pace that sucks the lifeblood out of the best of athletes. And this is why, tonight more than ever, the Senators must play the Cory Clouston system to a fault, and stick to their role to a fault. That is the only way they will walk away with a victory. The gruelling pace of game- travel-nap-practice-nap-game makes it feel like one long day without any worthwhile rest. That is why the Sens must each act as cogs in a machine, playing their assigned role, and relying on the other cogs to do what they must do.

Make no mistakes, the Panthers are not mathematically out of it and will be trying hard. They'll be trying to take advantage of a tired team to pick up a much needed win. The Senators must let their coach be their brains, and force the Panthers to play the Senators game, that way lies victory.