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Ottawa Senators coach Travis Green made headlines at training camp with his blunt comment to his players. NHL insider Claire Hanna reported that Green ended the team's skate on Thursday by saying,
“For most of you, this is your last game.”
The statement emphasized the pressure on players as roster cuts approach. Travis Green also said that the Senators will start trimming their roster in the next 24 hours.
“We don't want to make any hasty decisions, but we're getting to that time where you gotta start cutting down…. I’d like to get closer down to our group here.”
The Senators have performed well in preseason as they have two victories against the Toronto Maple Leafs. They won 6-5 in overtime on Sunday and 2-1 on Tuesday.
On Thursday night, they will face the Buffalo Sabres at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Linus Ullmark will start in goal for the Senators with Dustin Tokarski expected to play half of the game.
Players like Josh Norris, who centers a line with David Perron and Drake Batherson, will need to stand out. Other lines include Tkachuk-Stutzle-Giroux and Cousins-Greig-Amado.
On defense, the pairings include Chabot-Jensen, Sanderson-Hamonic, Davies-JBD and Hamara-Guenette. In goal, Anton Forsberg and Leevi Merilainen are also part of the team.
As the Senators continue their preseason, all eyes will be on the players who are trying to secure a spot on the final roster.
Travis Green's plans for the Senators this season
Travis Green believes in winning close games and focusing on strong defense. This strategy was on display in their recent 2-1 win over the Maple Leafs.
Green added that winning takes time and effort and he prefers games that are not wide-open. He also wants his players to feel comfortable in close matches.
“There are a lot of things that go into winning hockey games; it’s a long process,” Green said on Wednesday per Ottawa Citizen, “I’m looking to win, no matter how you need to get it done. I like that we stuck with the game Tuesday and that it was not a wide-open game."
“A lot of times teams don’t feel comfortable in that type of game. They want it to be wide open. I get it. I’d rather win 5-1 than 2-1. But we have to win those close games, we have to feel comfortable in those games.”
The Senators have tough decisions to make as they will cut some players soon and finalize their roster.
