FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. - Not so long ago, in the opinion of his coach, Patrick Wiercioch was worthy of no minutes at all.
On Sunday, he played more than 29 of them.
The most eye-popping stat to come out of the Senators 5-2 loss in Tampa was not that workhorse Erik Karlsson saw 36:34 of ice time, but that Wiercioch was Ottawa's next busiest blue liner at 29:14.
Dave Cameron used Wiercioch as Karlsson's partner when he was left with only four defenceman, after Mark Borowiecki was tossed from the game and Cody Ceci left with an injury.