Senators team replaced with 'winning machine': Report

You gotta give credit to the Sens these days, they've beaten a two (or three--writing during Caps game) of the best teams in the conference in the past week, and even without the services of their most consistent defenceman, Anton Volchenkov (with Phillips flying off the handle and scoring goals these days, I can hardly call him consistent).

Pascal Leclaire definitely beat out former Senator Patrick Lalime when the Sens took on the Sabres. Lalime had a terrible record against the Sens since leaving the team, and keeping that record up (with a vengeance) surely boosts the team's ego.

And speaking of Leclaire, he got hit in the face by a puck when the Sens played the Washington Capitals tonight. After an injury kept him out of the game, you could hear him sigh from Kanata to Orleans, "It's just one of those weeks."

Weekly roundup

With wins over the Penguins and Sabres, the Sens bandwagon has been getting pretty crowded over the past few days. It's funny how things can change from one copy deadline to the next...

Saturday - Senators look to halt bumpy start to season
Sunday - Sens show cutting edge

As hockey fans, I think we're all prone to mood swings. Everyone seems to be pointing out that the Sens are just 1 point behind the Sabres for first place in the Northeast Division... a week ago no one was doing the math. Just sayin'.

Facts

• Patrick Lalime's career went downhill after he left Ottawa... by now he's 20 feet underground. Too bad.
• Mike Fisher will not make Team Canada, and neither will Ray Emery, no matter how non-committal Steve Yzerman is.
• Brian Elliott reminds me of Emery, but Leclaire in no way reminds me of Gerber. Sweet.