Phaneuf not sure how Maple Leafs fans will react

OTTAWA-- Dion Phaneuf isn't sure what kind of reception he will get from Toronto Maple Leafs fans when he returns as a member of the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
But Senators goaltender Craig Anderson has an idea.

"Maybe the way Alfie was received in Toronto?" Anderson said, referring to former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson.
Alfredsson was vociferously booed by Maple Leafs fans during the peak of the Battle of Ontario from 2000-04.
"I'm sure there will be a few energy bursts from the fans when [Dion's] got the puck," Anderson said. "I think he'll smile and enjoy the moment. It's definitely a cool feeling when people are against you. It gives you a reason to bring your 'A' game."

Phaneuf was booed when he touched the puck by Calgary Flames fans when the Senators played there Feb. 27. He was traded by the Flames to the Maple Leafs midway through his fifth season with the Flames in January 2010.
Phaneuf was acquired by the Senators as part of a nine-player trade Feb. 9.
Phaneuf, the former captain in Toronto, was complimentary toward the Maple Leafs fans and the organization and wouldn't guess about how he will be received upon his return.
"I'm not sure. I'll give you the honest answer. You asked me that question and I'm not sure," he said. "We'll see tomorrow night how I'm received, but my focus is here and how we've got to get our game back to the level we're capable of.
"I think I got treated very well there. The bottom line is the organization treated me well, the fan base treated me well and I have nothing but good things to say about the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. With saying that, I'm an Ottawa Senator now and the bottom line is that I'm playing for this team, I'm part of this team and now we move forward."

The Senators have gone 5-5-1 since Phaneuf arrived and are seven points out of the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
Senators wing Zack Smith tried to put the best spin on how Phaneuf's return to Toronto might go.
"It doesn't happen a lot, traded to a rival, but I'm sure he can expect a warm welcome," he said. "He was their captain for a lot of years, did a lot of good things for them. You never know. It's hard to predict fans, especially in Toronto."
When it was suggested there was little chance the Maple Leafs fans would cheer Phaneuf, he said: "I'm being optimistic here. You never know. For sure, there are some hardened fans out there."
Phaneuf, 30, immediately improved the Senators depth on defense with his arrival. He has formed a solid second pair with Cody Ceci, 22.
"He makes our whole team better," coach Dave Cameron said.
Speaking specifically about Phaneuf's impact on Ceci, Cameron said: "Well, he's an NHL 800-game player, so he's poised and vocal. Calmness. Sometimes when things are getting scattered you just need a calm voice to settle everybody down and he has that."

Anderson said he has appreciated Phaneuf's physical presence.
"Dion has been a guy who has kind of came in and calmed the back end a little bit. He's allowed Cody to kind of come out of his shell a little bit and be a little more offensively gifted like he is," Anderson said. "[Ceci] knows Dion is there as a steady rock defenseman that he can trust. That has been huge for his development and it's going to be continuing for his development.
"As far as from a goalie standpoint, you know Dion is going to be physical and tough in the corners and he is going to make sure guys pay in front of the net. You know when he's out there guys are going to get abused and they are going to make it hard for them to score."
Phaneuf said there will be a time when he will reflect on his time in Toronto, but it is not a priority for him at this point.
"Right now I'm focused on playing a game tomorrow … right now we're fighting for our lives," he said. "We're fighting for points, we're fighting for every inch of every point, so right now my focus is playing as strong as I possibly can for our team and to give ourselves the best chance of winning tomorrow night's game."
That means having no regard for the friendships he might have with some of his former teammates.
"When you're part of a team you build friendships that last a long time away from the rink, but the bottom line is I don't believe there's friendships when you're on the ice," Phaneuf said. "I'm sure they're going to play me as hard as they can as I will to them."