The time to look in the mirror for the Ottawa Senators is now, says veteran forward Lars Eller as the team looks to break a four-game losing streak when the Vancouver Canucks come to town on Tuesday night.
“I think most importantly, bring the energy, everybody’s got to bring the energy and a competitive edge tonight,” Eller told the media on Tuesday morning ahead of the game.
“I think if we do that, it’s going to spread to the rest of the team. One guy or line can turn the game around by dragging the rest of the guys into it, and that’s kind of what we, what I’m looking for right now, somebody that can drag us into it and get the team going, because I know we’ve got a really good hockey team. And we played at a high level earlier in the season, so I know it’s there, but we’ve got to dig it out of ourselves and show that we’re willing to do what it takes.”
After a 3-2 loss to Florida on Saturday night, Travis Green said the team was lacking just a little bit of desperation. It wasn’t time for panic mode, but hockey is a game played on the margins, and he felt the team needed five or 10 per cent more that night.
“When times are hard and you’re losing a couple of games in a row and you’re going through some adversity, that lack of desperation or lack of competitiveness or that less 10 per cent, that spreads throughout the team a little bit when some guys are not bringing it,” said Eller.
“Everybody’s not bringing it. But it goes the same way, that one guy can drag the rest of the team into it. We need to flip that, and I know we’re capable of it, it’s just going to be a matter of which line or who is it going to be that’s going to drag us into it and get to that level of desperation, or emotionally invested, or whatever you want to call it, but it’s a feeling that we need to get away from where we’ve been the last couple of games, and we’re capable of that. I think everybody can be this guy. It can be a hit, it can be a goal, it can be a blocked shot, it can be something that drags the rest of the guys into it, that brings energy to the rest of the bench. It can be many things and everybody is capable of it including me.”
“I think it’s each players responsibility, it starts with themselves to bring what they can to help the team win. I’ve said it a lot in here, we win as a team and we lose as a team, it’s usually not one or two guys that are dominating a game,” Green told the media.
“It’s a real team effort when we win, and to get that effort or that look everyone’s got to be on top of their game. Energy is a big part of our game, when we’re playing well we have a lot of energy in our game.”
