Hmmm.....

So Martin Gerber has been assigned to Binghamton, Ottawa's AHL affiliate, on a two week conditioning stint. Some might say it's a conditioning stint to get him conditioned for his new life in the Minors. The surprise, however, is the sudden outburst by the Senators. Winning two games in a row now, they've managed to suddenly find their offensive touch once again. The question remains though: Are the Senators turning their fortunes around or is it just the blind dog getting a bone? The answer is likely the latter. Some might say that the Senators are finally getting the goaltending they needed to play with confidence. I beg to differ. Looking back at the beginning of the year, Alex Auld was playing so well many were thinking of giving him the MVP based on his play. Ottawa was still sinking in the standings and Auld was certainly not to blame. Despite playing 11 games straight, his record was hardly a winning one but his stats were certainly impressive given his teams play. So what does this mean for Brian Elliot? The jury’s still out on the young rookie. Drafted second last in his draft year, he was hardly touted as the next great goalie for any team. But that same year, Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak was also drafted in the 9th round back in 2003 and he’s providing some decent backup goaltending for Les Habs. As it always has been, drafting goalies reveals itself to be a crapshoot. Personally, as a Sens fan, I'd rather see the Senators fall in the standings and get a decent pick in the draft. As much as it pains me to watch my favourite team lose, I can also look at the team and say they don't have what it takes to go that far. If the Senators win tomorrow night against Montreal, many followers will suddenly start believing in the team. There will, of course, be nay-sayers and I can't help but stick to the skeptics. The team still as the same missing pieces that they've had since the beginning of the year. The team is still lacking that puck moving defenceman and unless Brendan Bell or Alexandre Picard suddenly turn into one over night, their developpment will certainly take a little more time and Erik Karlsson is still another season away at the very least. All in all, the Senators still need help beyond the goaltending that Brian Elliot is giving. As the Leafs have shown in the past few years, consistent 10th or 11th place finishes is not only disappointing but a vicious circle that gets teams stuck in mediocrity for multiple seasons.