Ready for a breakthrough

Senators in position to tear through postseason

There is no denying the fine season the Ottawa Senators have authored in 2002-03. Along with the Dallas Stars, they are the only team in the top five in goals scored and goals against. Their power play is near the top of the league in efficiency and their penalty killing is hovering around top-ten status. All of this adds up to the most victories in the NHL and a likely Presidents' Trophy.

Yet despite this season's success, similar results in the postseason -- their seventh straight playoff appearance, which is the longest such streak of any of the Canadian clubs -- may stem from the adversity they've endured. The organization has operated the entire season under the specter of ownership issues and bankruptcy proceedings. And the team bears the weight of translating regular-season results into postseason accolades after several seasons of springtime frustration.

This time around, though, the Sens appear to be a different group -- one primed to make the move into the league's elite class as defined by playoff wins. Their handling of off-ice distractions has been exemplary. Couple that with their late-season focus -- which is much better so far in March than in years gone by -- and the team's maturation is evident.

After a shoddy stretch in which they uncharacteristically surrendered 16 goals over three games, the Sens tightened up impressively, dissecting the Thrashers 5-1 in Atlanta and the Panthers 3-1 in South Florida. Tellingly, those road performances came after the team had its rookie dinner and golf outing in Raleigh, N.C.

That ability to separate relaxation from the task at hand is another sign of what makes this edition of the Senators different from its predecessors. Of course, it is how the Sens perform in the postseason that matters most. To that end, they appear ready to follow the path of many teams that have used playoff setbacks as building blocks for future conquests.

You need not look any further than the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings and their progression through the '90s. They overcame episodes of early-round elimination to win successive Cups in 1997 and '98. Even last year's return to championship status followed a first-round ouster in 2001 at the hands of the L.A. Kings.

For their part, the Senators won a playoff series last season before falling to their nemesis and provincial rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. But this team seems better suited to take on all comers in the East. Yes, the Sens appear mentally tougher, but more important, they are very well-balanced this time around.

The additions of grinder Vaclav Varada and versatile center Bryan Smolinski give the Senators a lineup that is four lines deep, featuring 10 players with at least 10 goals scored. Their mix up front and on the blueline seems a perfect meld of speed, skill and, yes, grit -- long deemed the Senators' deficiency.

Will the Sens meet the Leafs this time around and finally vanquish their tormentors? It would certainly make for a great story and a better series. But what about a Senators vs. Red Wings series in the finals? That would mean the Senators truly have ascended to the top of the league and it would give them a chance to exorcise another demon. That's right, the man behind those Leaf playoff triumphs over the Senators was none other than goaltender Curtis Joseph . He now tends goal in Detroit and is seeking his first Stanley Cup in an impressive career.

Now that is a matchup worth rooting for. CuJo would certainly welcome the opportunity and as the regular season winds down, the Senators seem ready to stare down the challenge as well.

 

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