With Kuba, Kovalev and now Michalek gone for the playoffs, players such as Foligno must step up as the Senators' organizational depth is tested
If the Ottawa Senators don't get past the Pittsburgh Penguins in this Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, they'll be wondering what might have been if they weren't without three of their top players.
Already without defenceman Filip Kuba (back surgery) and Alex Kovalev (left anterior cruciate ligament), they've now lost left- winger Milan Michalek, another of their top-six forwards. Michalek is done for the playoffs after tearing the ACL in his left knee during the second period of Game 1 on Wednesday night.
As he did in the third period on Wednesday night, Nick Foligno will take Michalek's place on a line with Mike Fisher and Matt Cullen in Game 2 tonight. Ryan Shannon will draw into Foligno's spot on the fourth line with Jesse Winchester and Zack Smith.
"You go into the playoffs, as we did a few years ago, and you have some key people hurt, it makes it more difficult," Senators general manager Bryan Murray said. "It's hard to fill in for top players, and Milan's a top player, Kovalev's a top player and Kuba's a top player.
"The fortunate part about this group is that we have a few young people that look like they've really made some nice strides over the course of time.
"We still have our key people playing, and playing very well at this point, and we just have to count on the group playing real hard together, get goals from wherever they may come from and try to compete against this good hockey team."
Michalek will have surgery in about two weeks. The next time he'll skate with his teammates will be at training camp in September.
Michalek had only returned with two games left in the regular season after missing nine games with what was revealed on Thursday to be a partially torn ACL.
That injury occurred when he crashed into the Atlanta Thrashers net in a game on March 18.
Despite that, Michalek wanted to return for the playoffs, Murray said.After discussions that included the team, Michalek, doctors and the player's agent, it was agreed that Michalek, wearing a brace, would try to play.
In all likelihood, Michalek would have needed surgery anyway during the offseason, so it wasn't utterly reckless to allow him to play.
On Wednesday, he was injured when he was checked into the end boards in the second period, but he didn't leave the game. He sat on the bench in the third period and played two shifts. He'd had seven shifts in each the first and second periods.
When he was examined after the game by Dr. Don Chow, who is here with the team, it was bad news all around.
Coach Cory Clouston said the only plus is that the Senators have already been forced to adapt to life without Michalek. In addition to the nine games he missed because of his knee, he missed seven earlier with an upper-body injury.
"It's tough to replace a player like him, but we've had to in the past and we will again," he said.
Daniel Alfredsson echoed that sentiment.
"It's a tough break, but once again we move on," he said. "We have people to fill different roles, so nothing changes for us.
"I don't see it as a big problem for us. You would love to stay healthy, but we're not and we'll keep playing the same way, and everybody is going to pull as hard as they can no matter what happens."
Shannon, who has a Stanley Cup ring from 2007 when the Anaheim Ducks beat the Senators in the final, was obviously happy to be getting back in. He had been scratched from eight of the last 10 regular-season games and probably wouldn't have got into the playoffs other than through injury.
"I'm very excited," he said.
"I haven't been there in a while. You could tell from watching the game from up top that the atmosphere is a lot better. It's really intense, guys come together, and it's going to be a lot of fun."
Meanwhile, as the Penguins geared up to try to even the series tonight, the Senators were busy trying not to get too far ahead of themselves.
Jason Spezza said that wasn't going to be a problem. They know exactly what their mindset has to be going into Game 2.
"We've won the first game, now we have to put it behind us," he said. "It's the race to four. Our whole thing was, we were going to take it one period at a time and be shortsighted with everything, and that's not going to change.
"I think if you look too much at the big picture, if you look back at the past, that's when you can get yourself in trouble."
If the Ottawa Senators don't get past the Pittsburgh Penguins in this Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, they'll be wondering what might have been if they weren't without three of their top players.
Already without defenceman Filip Kuba (back surgery) and Alex Kovalev (left anterior cruciate ligament), they've now lost left- winger Milan Michalek, another of their top-six forwards. Michalek is done for the playoffs after tearing the ACL in his left knee during the second period of Game 1 on Wednesday night.
As he did in the third period on Wednesday night, Nick Foligno will take Michalek's place on a line with Mike Fisher and Matt Cullen in Game 2 tonight. Ryan Shannon will draw into Foligno's spot on the fourth line with Jesse Winchester and Zack Smith.
"You go into the playoffs, as we did a few years ago, and you have some key people hurt, it makes it more difficult," Senators general manager Bryan Murray said. "It's hard to fill in for top players, and Milan's a top player, Kovalev's a top player and Kuba's a top player.
"The fortunate part about this group is that we have a few young people that look like they've really made some nice strides over the course of time.
"We still have our key people playing, and playing very well at this point, and we just have to count on the group playing real hard together, get goals from wherever they may come from and try to compete against this good hockey team."
Michalek will have surgery in about two weeks. The next time he'll skate with his teammates will be at training camp in September.
Michalek had only returned with two games left in the regular season after missing nine games with what was revealed on Thursday to be a partially torn ACL.
That injury occurred when he crashed into the Atlanta Thrashers net in a game on March 18.
Despite that, Michalek wanted to return for the playoffs, Murray said.After discussions that included the team, Michalek, doctors and the player's agent, it was agreed that Michalek, wearing a brace, would try to play.
In all likelihood, Michalek would have needed surgery anyway during the offseason, so it wasn't utterly reckless to allow him to play.
On Wednesday, he was injured when he was checked into the end boards in the second period, but he didn't leave the game. He sat on the bench in the third period and played two shifts. He'd had seven shifts in each the first and second periods.
When he was examined after the game by Dr. Don Chow, who is here with the team, it was bad news all around.
Coach Cory Clouston said the only plus is that the Senators have already been forced to adapt to life without Michalek. In addition to the nine games he missed because of his knee, he missed seven earlier with an upper-body injury.
"It's tough to replace a player like him, but we've had to in the past and we will again," he said.
Daniel Alfredsson echoed that sentiment.
"It's a tough break, but once again we move on," he said. "We have people to fill different roles, so nothing changes for us.
"I don't see it as a big problem for us. You would love to stay healthy, but we're not and we'll keep playing the same way, and everybody is going to pull as hard as they can no matter what happens."
Shannon, who has a Stanley Cup ring from 2007 when the Anaheim Ducks beat the Senators in the final, was obviously happy to be getting back in. He had been scratched from eight of the last 10 regular-season games and probably wouldn't have got into the playoffs other than through injury.
"I'm very excited," he said.
"I haven't been there in a while. You could tell from watching the game from up top that the atmosphere is a lot better. It's really intense, guys come together, and it's going to be a lot of fun."
Meanwhile, as the Penguins geared up to try to even the series tonight, the Senators were busy trying not to get too far ahead of themselves.
Jason Spezza said that wasn't going to be a problem. They know exactly what their mindset has to be going into Game 2.
"We've won the first game, now we have to put it behind us," he said. "It's the race to four. Our whole thing was, we were going to take it one period at a time and be shortsighted with everything, and that's not going to change.
"I think if you look too much at the big picture, if you look back at the past, that's when you can get yourself in trouble."
