http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/teams/ottawa_senators/99 Recent articles about Ottawa Senators en-us Ottawa Senators forward Chris Neil is one of the more frustrating players to play against in the league and this GIF shows why.  While going to gain position in front of the net, he cup checks Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Douglas Murray in a completely unnecessary cheap shot.  How Neil wasn’t called for a slash on this play is beyond me. [SB Nation] Sat, 25 May 2013 14:14:17 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/senators_chris_neil_cup_checks_penguins_douglas_murray/13693436 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/senators_chris_neil_cup_checks_penguins_douglas_murray/13693436 Senators’ Chris Neil cup checks Penguins’ Douglas Murray http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/senators_chris_neil_cup_checks_penguins_douglas_murray/13693436 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/4/7/4783f397bb2bbc02e794f9c79f488f025c6e547e/mini/Ottawa_Senators_v_55ca.jpg The Pittsburgh Penguins had no trouble with the Ottawa Senators in game four and that momentum carried over to game five.  Penguins forward James Neal was red hot in game five and ended up scoring a hattrick, with this beauty being the final one.  He pulled an awesome toe drag off on last year’s Norris Trophy Winner, Erik Karlsson, and then buried the puck high glove. Karlsson really got caught fishing on this one, that’s why you can’t get caught puck watching. [YouTube] [Reddit] Sat, 25 May 2013 13:47:47 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/james_neals_filthy_toe_drag_goal_for_the_hattrick/13693307 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/james_neals_filthy_toe_drag_goal_for_the_hattrick/13693307 James Neal’s filthy toe drag goal for the hattrick http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/james_neals_filthy_toe_drag_goal_for_the_hattrick/13693307 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/0/7/0794f89af3bf79551b0019b178e09054a4763384/mini/5894468.jpg I believe that this is an auto-play video, but Ottawa Senators coach Paul MacLean put things particularly eloquently after his team's series-ending 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, ending the teams' second-round series in 5 games. MacLean's bottom line on the series, as he told Sportsnet? "I hope they don't charge us for the clinic," he said, referring to the example the Penguins set for Ottawa's younger players as to how a team must continually improve its play to persist in the second, third and fourth rounds: Continue reading "Paul MacLean wisely suggests that his Senators can learn from Penguins’ ‘clinic’" Sat, 25 May 2013 00:09:19 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/paul_maclean_wisely_suggests_that_his_senators_can_learn_from_penguins_clinic/13690817 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/paul_maclean_wisely_suggests_that_his_senators_can_learn_from_penguins_clinic/13690817 Paul MacLean wisely suggests that his Senators can learn from Penguins’ ‘clinic’ http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/paul_maclean_wisely_suggests_that_his_senators_can_learn_from_penguins_clinic/13690817 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Oh hey look Alfie said he his statements about "probably not coming coming back," were taken out of context. [ NESN ] Alfredsson did say, however, that he wasn’t ready to give up on the team. He reiterated that Thursday, just a few hours after making the postgame comments. “There’s no denying we’re in tough,” Alfredsson said, according to NHL.com’s Arpon Basu via Twitter. “Was it taken out of context? Probably, but that’s fine. I can handle that.”       Ummm....watch this video around the 1:01 minute mark. Check out the reporters face on the far left:   In GIF form: There is nothing better than a shocked canadian reporter. Great leadership by Alfie. Idiot.         Fri, 24 May 2013 08:42:22 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/daniel_alfredsson_says_comments_after_game_4_were_taken_out_of_context/13685492 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/daniel_alfredsson_says_comments_after_game_4_were_taken_out_of_context/13685492 Daniel Alfredsson says comments after Game 4 were taken out of context. ... http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/daniel_alfredsson_says_comments_after_game_4_were_taken_out_of_context/13685492 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png As sports fans we all love to see a player or coach’s obnoxious post game interview. We all have the Jim Mora “Playoffs!?!” sound bite in our heads every time we hear the word playoffs.  There are over the top rants and then there are ones that are justified. Last night’s post game conference was justified. Ottawa Senators head coach Paul MacLean was frustrated with after their Game 4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. At the end of the first period the Senators were winning 2-1. Unfortunately for Ottawa the Pittsburgh Penguins offense scored four goals in the third to beat the Senators 7-3. After the game there would be no questions asked to coach MacLean from the media. He was upset and understandably so. He felt that there was no need to rehash what transpired in the game. I think he was right in his actions. He was so upset and it is better to not say anything that might get him in trouble. He just said what he needed to say and now he can prepare for Game 5. Here is the video below. Fri, 24 May 2013 08:09:34 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/senators_head_coach_paul_macleans_quickest_press_conference_video/13686404 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/senators_head_coach_paul_macleans_quickest_press_conference_video/13686404 Senators Head Coach Paul MacLean’s Quickest Press Conference (VIDEO) http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/senators_head_coach_paul_macleans_quickest_press_conference_video/13686404 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Wow. This is more than a little awkward. As a hockey player and as a captain, I always assumed it would be impossible to criticize Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson. He's the prototypical perfect hockey player, a great team guy... and he just completely threw his whole squad under the bus. When asked in a media scrum after the Senators' 7-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins if he thinks that the Sens can come back and win three in a row, Alfredsson had this to say: "Probably not.” Ok then. Mathematically, it's tough to do. Energetically, and especially after a pounding loss like Wednesday's, it's even tougher. But does Alfredsson need to speak the truth then? Probably not. Weirder things have happened, like the Flyers coming back to win four games in a row against the Boston Bruins in 2010 - or the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins doing the same to the Providence Bruins just this season. Keeping your mindset positive is what leads to miracles... Thu, 23 May 2013 16:51:34 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/daniel_alfredssons_post_game_comments_decidedly_inappropriate/13681646 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/daniel_alfredssons_post_game_comments_decidedly_inappropriate/13681646 Daniel Alfredsson's post-game comments decidedly inappropriate http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/daniel_alfredssons_post_game_comments_decidedly_inappropriate/13681646 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/c/4/c461bcdc7f57e8b61bebe832245bb2868cf62e42/mini/Ottawa_Senators_v_aa7d.jpg The Ottawa Senators got lucky to win Game 3 of the best-of-seven series with the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in double overtime after their goalie Craig Anderson put on a show facing 50 shots and still winning the game. In Wednesday night's Game 4, the team representing Canada's capital failed to capitalize on the momentum they had from such an inspiring performance. The Pittsburgh Penguins refused to let Craig Anderson's excellence from the previous game get into their heads, the team from steel city absolutely demolished Ottawa in Game 4 by a final score of 7-3. The Senators season is now on life support. "We felt we carried the play for the majority of the [first] period, and we knew if we kept playing that way they couldn't keep up," said Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik. "It looked like we played with a lot more speed; they were having trouble keeping up with us. When the Pittsburgh Penguins play their game it is easy to see why almost every hockey ... Thu, 23 May 2013 16:30:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/ottawa_senators_season_all_but_over/13681640 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/ottawa_senators_season_all_but_over/13681640 Ottawa Senators season all but over http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/ottawa_senators_season_all_but_over/13681640 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Ottawa Senators got lucky to win Game 3 of the best-of-seven series with the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in double overtime after their goalie Craig Anderson put on a show facing 50 shots and still winning the game. In Wednesday night's Game 4, the team representing Canada's capital failed to capitalize on the momentum they had from such an inspiring performance. The Pittsburgh Penguins refused to let Craig Anderson's excellence from the previous game get into their heads, the team from steel city absolutely demolished Ottawa in Game 4 by a final score of 7-3. The Senators season is now on life support.  "We felt we carried the play for the majority of the [first] period, and we knew if we kept playing that way they couldn't keep up," said Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik. "It looked like we played with a lot more speed; they were having trouble keeping up with us. When the Pittsburgh Penguins play their game it is easy to see why almost every hockey... Thu, 23 May 2013 15:35:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/ottawa_senators_season_all_but_over/13681094 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/ottawa_senators_season_all_but_over/13681094 Ottawa Senators season all but over http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/ottawa_senators_season_all_but_over/13681094 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png From Allen Panzeri of the Ottawa Citizen: Honoured by the Hockey Hall of Fame with the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in 2001, Lange is an icon in the Steel City, following in the big footprints of Bob Prince, who was the voice of the Pirates for 28 years, and Myron Cope, the colour commentator on Steelers’ radio broadcasts for 25 years. Lange is so ingrained as the city’s voice of hockey that his fans will turn down the sound on NBC broadcasts and listen instead to his call of the game. “If I ever own my own skyscraper, instead of smooth jazz as the elevator music I think I’m just gonna loop Mike Lange goal calls,” wrote one devotee on Twitter a couple of days ago. The affection is mutual. “If they enjoy listening to me and can have some fun with it, hey, that’s the ultimate compliment,” Lange said this week while watching the Ottawa Senators and Penguins practice at Scotiabank Place. Thu, 23 May 2013 14:59:02 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/scratch_his_back_with_a_hacksaw_nbsp_penguins_broadcaster_mike_lange_remains_an_iconic_hockey_voice/13680782 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/scratch_his_back_with_a_hacksaw_nbsp_penguins_broadcaster_mike_lange_remains_an_iconic_hockey_voice/13680782 Scratch his back with a hacksaw:  Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange remains an iconic hockey voice http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/scratch_his_back_with_a_hacksaw_nbsp_penguins_broadcaster_mike_lange_remains_an_iconic_hockey_voice/13680782 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson isn’t giving up hope just yet, but he certainly knows it won’t be tough for his team to come back in their series with the Penguins. Alfredsson made news following Game 4 on Wednesday night when he replied with “probably not” after being asked whether or not he thought the Senators could come back and win after being down 3-1 with a 7-3 Game 4 loss. Alfredsson did say, however, that he wasn’t ready to give up on the team. He reiterated that  Thursday just a few hours after making the postgame comments. “There’s no denying we’re in tough,” Alfredsson said, according to NHL.com’s Arpon Basu via Twitter. “Was it taken out of context? Probably, but that’s fine. I can handle that.” The Senators will play Game 5 in Pittsburgh on Friday night where they will try to stave off elimination. Thu, 23 May 2013 14:13:17 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/daniel_alfredsson_says_probably_not_comments_taken_out_of_context_somewhat/13680452 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/daniel_alfredsson_says_probably_not_comments_taken_out_of_context_somewhat/13680452 Daniel Alfredsson Says ‘Probably Not’ Comments Taken Out of Context Somewhat http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/daniel_alfredsson_says_probably_not_comments_taken_out_of_context_somewhat/13680452 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/8/78b172bdac82c68531b82fab55d69e707eb0c6b2/mini/Ottawa_Senators_v_9f67.jpg Wow. This is more than a little awkward. As a hockey player and as a captain, I always assumed it would be impossible to criticize Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson. He's the prototypical perfect hockey player, a great team guy... and he just completely threw his whole squad under the bus. When asked in a media scrum after the Senators' 7-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins if he thinks that the Sens can come back and win three in a row, Alfredsson had this to say: "Probably not.” Ok then. Mathematically, it's tough to do. Energetically, and especially after a pounding loss like Wednesday's, it's even tougher. But does Alfredsson need to speak the truth then?  Probably not. Weirder things have happened, like the Flyers coming back to win four games in a row against the Boston Bruins in 2010 - or the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins doing the same to the Providence Bruins just this season. Keeping your mindset positive is what leads ... Thu, 23 May 2013 13:54:57 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/daniel_alfredssons_post_game_comments_decidedly_inappropriate/13680173 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/daniel_alfredssons_post_game_comments_decidedly_inappropriate/13680173 Daniel Alfredsson's post-game comments decidedly inappropriate http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/daniel_alfredssons_post_game_comments_decidedly_inappropriate/13680173 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/8/78b172bdac82c68531b82fab55d69e707eb0c6b2/mini/Ottawa_Senators_v_9f67.jpg To say that Ottawa Senators head coach Paul MacLean kept things brief after his team was manhandled in a 7-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday would be an understatement. MacLean did not take questions from the assembled media after the game, which gave the Penguins a 3-1 series lead. Instead, he issued one quick statement before walking away from the podium in a news conference that lasted all of 20 seconds. "I think everything's right here," MacLean said, pointing to the game notes. "It's 7-3. See you in Pittsburgh. We're going to Pittsburgh, and we're coming to play. Have a good night." Boom. Check it out for yourself in the video below. Thu, 23 May 2013 13:47:26 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/maclean_keeps_it_brief_really_brief/13680104 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/maclean_keeps_it_brief_really_brief/13680104 MacLean keeps it brief (really brief) http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/maclean_keeps_it_brief_really_brief/13680104 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png I really hope Daniel “Probably Not” Alfredsson wins the Mark Messier Leadership award so we can all laugh at that dumb award. — Bower Power (@So_Truculent) May 23, 2013   The Pittsburgh Penguins are a solid hockey team. They became even more solid when they stopped playing the sieve known as Marc-Andre Fleury after an abysmal first round against the New York Islanders. The Ottawa Senators are a resilient bunch. Despite losing their best player, their second best player, and their third best player for much of the year the ‘Pesky’ Sens trudged into the playoffs. This was especially meaningful for one Daniel Alfredsson, the Senators’ longtime captain. ‘Alfie’ has played his entire career in Ottawa and these could be his final games in the NHL. He is the most beloved Senator in the franchise’s history and the all-time leader in just about every category. At the 11:11 mark of every period, Senators fans chant his name. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that the Senator captain tried ... Thu, 23 May 2013 12:42:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/daniel_alfredssons_post_game_comments_are_getting_blown_way_out_of_proportion/13679609 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/daniel_alfredssons_post_game_comments_are_getting_blown_way_out_of_proportion/13679609 Daniel Alfredsson’s Post-Game Comments Are Getting Blown Way Out Of Proportion http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/daniel_alfredssons_post_game_comments_are_getting_blown_way_out_of_proportion/13679609 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/4/14419d69bbeac7b3a839e265d950befcee4c561e/mini/Montreal_Canadiens_v_cb43.jpg During the third period, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby showed off his fantastic skill set on this play.  He entered the zone, toe-dragged against the Ottawa Senators defenseman Chris Phillips and then pulled the puck to his backhand.  He was wide open in front of Craig Anderson and let a sick backhand shot go right under the crossbar into the net.  The goal gave the Penguins a 6-2 lead and resulted in Anderson getting pulled.  The Penguins would go on to win 7-3 and have set themselves up to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals nicely. [YouTube] Thu, 23 May 2013 12:14:08 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/sidney_crosby_scores_silky_backhand_toe_drag_goal_against_senators/13679258 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/sidney_crosby_scores_silky_backhand_toe_drag_goal_against_senators/13679258 Crosby toe-drags, scores on backhander http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/sidney_crosby_scores_silky_backhand_toe_drag_goal_against_senators/13679258 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/d/f/df5809ded3512cd2011e29583dcea31a19aafee5/mini/crosby.jpg Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson is one of the most well-respected veterans in the NHL. The 40-year-old has more than 400 goals and 1,000 points in his 16-year career. When Alfredsson talks, people listen. That’s what makes his most recent comments such a major concern for Senators fans. Ottawa dug itself into a 3-1 hole against the Pittsburgh Penguins with an embarrassing 7-3 loss in Game 4 on Wednesday night. After the game, reporters asked a frustrated Alfredsson if he believes the Senators can win three straight to take the series. “Probably not,” he said, via Erin Nicks of NHL.com. ”I mean, with their depth and power play right now, you know, it doesn’t look too good.” That’s certainly an honest and realistic assessment, but it’s one a team would be better off hearing from the media than its captain. In reality, Alfredsson was probably just furious with the way his team had played. Still, his message was a powerful one. “When you look at what we did... Thu, 23 May 2013 12:00:23 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/daniel_alfredsson_senators_probably_cant_come_back_against_penguins/13679186 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/daniel_alfredsson_senators_probably_cant_come_back_against_penguins/13679186 Daniel Alfredsson: Senators ‘probably’ can’t come back against Penguins http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/daniel_alfredsson_senators_probably_cant_come_back_against_penguins/13679186 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/8/78b172bdac82c68531b82fab55d69e707eb0c6b2/mini/Ottawa_Senators_v_9f67.jpg To say that Ottawa Senators head coach Paul MacLean kept things brief after his team was manhandled in a 7-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday would an understatement MacLean did not take questions from the assembled media after the game, instead issuing one quick statement before walking away from the podium in a news conference that lasted all of 20 seconds. “I think everything’s right here,” MacLean said, pointing to the game notes. “It’s 7-3. See you in Pittsburgh. We’re going to Pittsburgh, and we’re coming to play. Have a good night.” Boom. Check it out for yourself in the video below. Wed, 22 May 2013 23:41:34 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/senators_coach_paul_maclean_holds_20_second_press_conference_after_blowout_loss_to_penguins_video/13676051 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/senators_coach_paul_maclean_holds_20_second_press_conference_after_blowout_loss_to_penguins_video/13676051 Senators Coach Paul MacLean Holds 20-Second Press Conference After Blowout Loss to Penguins (Video) http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/senators_coach_paul_maclean_holds_20_second_press_conference_after_blowout_loss_to_penguins_video/13676051 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Ottawa Senators had the opportunity to pull even with the top-seeded Penguins on Wednesday, but they were instead handed a demoralizing 7-3 loss on their home ice. The rout gave Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals, raising the question of whether or not the Sens have a chance to come back against a high-flying Penguins squad led by the NHL’s best player, Sidney Crosby. Ottawa’s captain isn’t too optimistic. “Probably not,” Daniel Alfredsson said when asked if his team can come back to win the series, according to NHL.com’s Erin Nicks. “They have too much depth.” Alfredsson, who tallied a goal and an assist in 15:47 of ice time Wednesday night, said his team will not give up the fight but acknowledged that his team has struggled to gain any momentum in the series. “We don’t have much going for us right now,” he told Nicks. “Maybe that’s the way we like it.” The Senators have been outscored 16-9 over the four games, with their lone win coming Wed, 22 May 2013 23:23:56 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/daniel_alfredsson_says_senators_will_probably_not_come_back_to_beat_penguins/13675976 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/daniel_alfredsson_says_senators_will_probably_not_come_back_to_beat_penguins/13675976 Daniel Alfredsson Says Senators Will ‘Probably Not’ Come Back to Beat Penguins http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/daniel_alfredsson_says_senators_will_probably_not_come_back_to_beat_penguins/13675976 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/7/8/78b172bdac82c68531b82fab55d69e707eb0c6b2/mini/Ottawa_Senators_v_9f67.jpg Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson was forechecking in the Pittsburgh Penguins zone when he collided with defenseman Mark Eaton and his foot slammed into the boards.  The force caused the steel of his skate to pop out and resulted in some comical video of Alfredsson falling on the ice and then hopping to the bench.  Alfredsson had no clue the steel had popped out of his skate and watching him try to skate without steel was pretty hilarious. It appears that Alfredsson is wearing the new Bauer ApX 2 skates that have a new feature where you can pop the steel of the skate out with a button, in order to put new steel in faster.  Unfortunately the product seems to make it so any forceful collision with the boards can pop the steel out and this won’t make NHL players very happy. [YouTube] Wed, 22 May 2013 21:29:44 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/daniel_alfredsson_loses_skate_blade_hops_on_one_leg_to_bench/13675331 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/daniel_alfredsson_loses_skate_blade_hops_on_one_leg_to_bench/13675331 Daniel Alfredsson loses skate blade, hops on one leg to bench http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/daniel_alfredsson_loses_skate_blade_hops_on_one_leg_to_bench/13675331 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/4/14419d69bbeac7b3a839e265d950befcee4c561e/mini/Montreal_Canadiens_v_cb43.jpg from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, "I was going down. I was in vulnerable position. He gave me an extra shove which made me pick up speed going into the boards," said Neil. "That's the way he plays, he plays a physical game. I wouldn't expect anything less."... "Playoff hockey your intensity is high out there. You finish checks," said Neil. "Put it this way, I wouldn't have done that to him to put him in that situation. I'm lucky I'm no worse for wear and I'll keep going." Told of Neil's remarks, Orpik fired back and thought that was pretty rich coming from Neil. "My response is (that's) very laughable coming from him. I thought it was a pretty harmless play," said Orpik. "I didn't even know he didn't return. He's done his fair share of things to me and everybody else in here. "We all know how he plays, and he's a guy who plays hard and he's a ... Wed, 22 May 2013 09:40:11 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/chris_neil_not_happy_with_hit_from_brooks_orpik/13670071 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/chris_neil_not_happy_with_hit_from_brooks_orpik/13670071 Chris Neil Not Happy With Hit From Brooks Orpik http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/chris_neil_not_happy_with_hit_from_brooks_orpik/13670071 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Jason Spezza doesn't have much time to return to form if the Ottawa Senators want to extend their season. The star forward hasn't played since Jan. 27 after undergoing back surgery for a herniated disk. He'll rejoin Ottawa's lineup Sunday for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Senators trailing 2-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. ''I'm excited to have a chance to play again,'' Spezza said. ''I feel ready to play.'' He will immediately add depth to a struggling offense and power play. ''We're excited about the skill that he brings back to our team and we're looking forward to it,'' said Senators coach Paul MacLean. ''We certainly feel that he's going to give us some help on the power play, for sure. He can help us quite a bit there.'' The Senators' power play has gone 1 for 7 through the first two games. Spezza's minutes will be monitored, and MacLean suggested his time on the ice c Sat, 18 May 2013 18:08:12 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/spezza_to_return_to_senators_lineup_for_game_3/13646590 http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/spezza_to_return_to_senators_lineup_for_game_3/13646590 Spezza to return to Senators lineup for Game 3 http://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/spezza_to_return_to_senators_lineup_for_game_3/13646590 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/7/17e8195058b22e5b2f46a905a676c3e582b50c1c/mini/5949520.jpg