As the Ottawa Senators are about to play the San Jose Sharks tonight at 7 p.m. ET at Canadian Tire Centre, the team finished February on a huge low.
The Senators started February off strong with a 6-0 win against the Minnesota Wild and a 5-2 win against the Nashville Predators, then lost their next five games to close out the month. Panic around the Senators as March has arrived to make a playoff push can be with reason with the team riding a five-game losing streak.
There's no doubt at the moment that a spark needs to happen for the Senators to have a chance of making a playoff push in 2025. Despite the current cold stretch, tonight could be the start of another hot stretch, as it happened in December for the Senators when another reunion occurred.
Hammond returning tonight could spark a March surge as it did with Pizza Line reunion in December
Tonight, 2015 Senators hero Andrew Hammond, "The Hamburglar," will be returning to the Canadian Tire Centre. As Hammond will return, his return could bring in some new luck and a spark in March just as the famous "Pizza Line" did this past December.
When Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza reunited for the Senators' game on Dec. 5, the Senators not only won the game, but then finished the month of December strong.
The Senators' win on Dec. 5 when the Pizza Line returned was the start of a six-game winning streak. It was the spark the Senators needed as they had just 22 points prior to the Pizza Line's reunion. For the entire month of December, the Senators went 9-3-1. Now, a new spark needs to happen in March with Hammond returning.
Ending a month on a five-game losing streak can shake a team's confidence. The Senators' 4-1 loss against the Jets this past Wednesday has put some fans' hopes low for a playoff push with 24 games left to play as February concluded.
If there's hope to start another hot streak, captain Brady Tkachuk will return to the lineup tonight. Tkachuk said yesterday after practice that he will play against the Sharks. Having Tkachuk back in the lineup can give the Senators an extra boost of energy and confidence that they've been missing over the past two games.
With the Senators currently holding a 29-25-4 record, every game matters just as much as the next one. The Senators can't afford to have another cold month like February if they plan on remaining in the playoff hunt.