Sens at Land’s End

Oilers fans, you can chalk up two points for tonight as Craig Hartsburg has decided to pre-lose the game for the Sens. Not that there was much for the Oilers to worry about anyway, I suppose. The only way this decision makes sense to me is as part of the push for Tavares.

Last night I watched Rick Nash hustle like mad to muscle his way around a Kings player to the puck and get an empty net goal, making the score 2-0 for Columbus and sealing a win for his team. I couldn’t help wondering why it is that Ottawa’s large, skilled players can’t seem to muster the same kind of effort and determination.

Watching Nash, I remembered watching the Sens during the 2007 playoffs. That was the first time I really understood what commentators meant by “winning the battles.” Hockey is all about the little things, and I just don’t see Ottawa doing them right now.

This will be the last Sens game of 2008. It really has been an awful year for the team. We’ll have to be thankful to have it end and just hope that 2009 won’t turn out to be worse.