OTTAWA — - As the Ottawa Senators hit the home stretch of the regular season, they can almost taste the playoffs. With 10 games remaining, they’re perhaps as few as three or four wins away from guaranteeing a spot in the post-season.
Thanks to the controversial format — it’s “stupid,” according to Washington’s Daniel Winnik — the Senators are also in a strong position to have home-ice advantage in a playoff series for the first time since they advanced to the Stanley Cup final in 2007.
Currently seeded second in the Atlantic Division, odds are the Senators will face the third seed, likely either Boston or Toronto.