The road to the NHL Playoffs 2013 continues for the Ottawa Senators, who will have to face their toughest competitors with a shortened roster as the season comes to a close. Ottawa currently stands as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, trailing the fifth-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs by only three points, and only leading the ninth-seeded Winnipeg Jets by four points.
After the lockout-shortened regular season, the Senators suffered devastating losses, as less than a month into the season, defenseman Erik Karlsson’s Achilles’ tendon was cut during a match, leaving him out indefinitely. To make things worse, Jason Spezza, Jared Cowen, and Milan Michalek all rotated through the injured list in 2013. Late in the season, the Senators also struggled through a five-game losing streak, which many in the press heralded as the onset of the team’s downfall.
On the other hand, the Senators enjoyed a five-game winning streak in late February, showing that the team had plenty of talent to offer outside their stars on the injured reserve. Goalie Craig Anderson—finally back on the ice in April after a sprained ankle—currently leads the league in save percentage, at .949 this season. As a group, the Senators especially shine at Scotiabank Place—leading the league with the fewest goals against on home ice—so the team will have a major advantage in its next five games at home, where it will face three teams ahead of them in the conference standings: Capitals (April 18), Maple Leafs (April 20), and Penguins (April 22).
Don’t miss a minute of the action as this stalwart team fights its way to the Stanley Cup in 2013. Secure your place in the “Sens Army” with a purchase of Senators playoff tickets from Vivid Seats.
