Senators in audition mode against Hurricanes (Mar 23, 2018)
OTTAWA -- On a conference call Friday, Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told season ticket-holders that he will try to re-sign captain Erik Karlsson when he's permitted to offer him a new contract on July 1.
Dorian also said every aspect of the organization will be re-evaluated during the summer, including coach Guy Boucher's job.
"We've seen how teams can change quickly," Dorion said. "That is definitely our goal, to be in the playoffs next year, but we have to understand we're in 28th place today and we need to make some changes to get there.
"We need to be more consistent as a group, and if we can do that and have a good game plan, I think we can be a pretty competitive team next year."
With nine games remaining, the Senators (26-36-11) will try to make up for the embarrassment of a 6-2 home loss to the Edmonton Oilers when they face the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night at Canadian Tire Centre.
Boucher was particularly unimpressed with a third period that saw his team surrender four goals and lack "net presence" around the Edmonton net.
Watching Connor McDavid blow by winger Mike Hoffman for a third-period goal was especially irksome to the coach.
"That wasn't a good at all," Boucher said. "He was tired, but still, that's not good enough. The whole line on this one didn't do very well, and that's why they didn't play the rest of the game after that.
"Attitude, work ethic and discipline have to be at the forefront of what we're doing. On any given day, there's guys where their ratios are up and down with these things. You've got guys that are on par and some that aren't."
The Hurricanes (32-31-11) are coming off a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Coyotes that was just their second win in the last six games. The dry spell has virtually assured they'll miss the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.
Terrible tragedy has struck both the Senators and the Hurricanes this season. Karlsson and wife Melinda lost their first child a month before he was to be born last week, and the infant daughter of Carolina center Jordan Staal and his wife Hannah died of a terminal birth defect in February.
"It has been a hard year on and off the ice, just life in general," Staal told The News & Observer on Friday. "It's been challenging in many areas. My marriage, my faith, all that has been challenged. We've learned a lot, we've grown a lot."
Mike Condon will start in goal for the Senators on Saturday, and winger Tom Pyatt will play his 400th NHL game.
Hurricanes third-liners Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen are both riding career-high seven-game point scoring streaks.
This will be the second meeting of the teams this season. The Hurricanes defeated the Senators 2-1 on Jan. 30 at Carolina.
The teams will face each other a third time Sunday at PNC Arena in Raleigh.
