Where was this team all season?? It wasn't in Ottawa that's for sure. The Senators are finally gelling and showing us some great and promising stuff.



Mind you, it's a good thing the Senators got 'er done in the first two periods. They were seriously out of steam in the third period. With all the penalties they had to kill, you could see them slowing down minute by minute. The game was over not a second too soon.

Nevertheless, it was a brilliant victory for the Sens. The Lightning are serious contenders for the post-season, currently sitting in 8th place overall. The 29th place Sens showed them that they are ready and primed for next year.

For the most part, the Senators kept it simple and that's what's been working for them. Jason Spezza got rewarded when he and Ryan Shannon crashed the net. Erik Karlsson got the helper by doing what he does best: putting a hard one on net. Of course, the goal by Bobby Butler was much prettier. The passes forced the Lightning defense to move laterally, and allowed Butler to sneak in behind. Butler sure has a great scoring touch, Dwayne Roloson never stood a chance.

Speaking of goalies, how about that Curtis McElhinney? A very good performance. He doesn't look as solid and composed as Neo Anderson in net, but damn if he didn't get the job done. I also love his mask (photo) which is a leftover from his Calgary Flames days showing his take on Dante's inferno. He truly was hell for the Lightning. Very cool stuff.

Stuff started going South in the third on a simple play by Jesse Winchester. He tried to do too much with a 2-on-1 break, and instead of shooting the puck - the simple play - he tried to feed a charging Shannon. This caused a turnover and a charge the other way, whcih drew two penalties and the rest is history. The KISS principle still applies: if you have an easy shot and a tough pass, go for the shot.

The Senators took a day off in Buffalo and it's a good thing. They sure need the rest. They are facing the Sabres tomorrow, and the Sabres are likely to come out craging (no pun intended) in a bid to protect their precarious position in the standings.

GO SENS GO!!