"With 27 games left in the regular season, the Senators have put themselves in an ideal position for the stretch run.

Despite the team's five-game losing streak heading into Saturday's game against Toronto, Ottawa was still sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference — a far cry from the last-place predictions of many prognosticators.

It's fair to say the Senators have overacheived so far in 2011-12. With just a couple of months until the playoffs, teams have pretty much forged their identities and contenders are looking to solidify their positions in the standings.

Now we'll see what these Senators are truly made of.

As they head down the stretch in a playoff spot, pressure will mount on the Senators — rather than being the hunter, they are now the hunted.

One of the toughest things to do when you are rebuilding or restructuring a hockey club is evaluating players, because most teams in that situation are not playing truly meaningful games.

Take the Edmonton Oilers, for example, and the unbelievable eight-point night that Sam Gagner had against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday."