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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 3064774" data-attributes="member: 2012">Senators going with blue-collar approachCanadian Press9/14/2006 4:58:06 PMOTTAWA (CP) - The Ottawa Senators learned the hard way last year that it takes more than talent to win the Stanley Cup, so they're taking a different approach into the upcoming NHL season."I think some of our players found out that talent alone doesn't do it," Senators coach Bryan Murray said as the Senators went back to work Thursday morning for the first time since their second-round playoff exit last spring. "(This year) it's more of a blue-collar approach."After the talented team fell short of expectations and failed to make it past the second round for the eighth time in nine seasons, there was more off-season movement in Ottawa this summer than in previous years.That meant camp opened at Scotiabank Place without some familiar faces - key contributors such as Zdeno Chara, Martin Havlat and Dominik Hasek - and some questions for Senators general manager John Muckler.At the top of the list: is Ottawa better than a year ago?"I don't think we can answer that," Muckler said while 47 players were put through fitness evaluations and other off-ice testing before they hit the ice for the first time on Friday morning.Ottawa opens its exhibition schedule with a neutral-site game Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Halifax."I like our team," said Muckler. "We have a different look than before. Are there question marks? Sure there are."How the Senators will replace Chara is probably the one being asked most often.The six-foot-nine defenceman and former Norris Trophy finalist bolted for Boston and a five-year, $37.5-million US contract with the Bruins as an unrestricted free agent this summer.While some critics will argue that the Senators' second-round loss to a less-talented but quicker and harder-working Buffalo Sabres team exposed weaknesses in Chara's game, his absence robs the Senators of arguably the game's best shut-down man.Another regular on the blue-line, Brian Pothier, signed on with the Washington Capitals.In their place, the Senators inked Joe Corvo from the Los Angeles Kings and picked up Tom Preissing from the San Jose Sharks. They're hardly big names, but they're mobile and can move the puck."There's no question Zdeno Chara played against all the star players and first-line players on other teams. He was a unique player," Murray said. "We do have guys that can step in. It's more of a committee."Added Muckler: "We had Chara here, who ate up 35, 38 minutes a game. Now with fifth and sixth defenceman, say (Anton) Volchenkov and Preissing and Corvo, they'll all get more ice time. It'll be more balanced."Up front, the Senators won't have Havlat after he and centre Bryan Smolinski were dealt to Chicago in the three-way deal that brought Preissing to Ottawa. Vaclav Varada also wasn't re-signed.Muckler, who was felt it was time to deal Havlat after he refused to sign an extension that would keep him in Ottawa beyond this season, said the Senators survived a long spell without Havlat in the lineup last year because of a serious shoulder injury and can get by without him again. Chicago thought enough of him to give him a US$18-million, three-year deal."If you look at the (last) regular season, we won't miss him because we never really had him," Muckler said. "He's got great skill but he hasn't reached his potential."The Senators have never been known for their depth at centre and gave up their No. 2 pivot in Smolinski. They signed Russian prospect Alexei Kaigorodov on the eve of training camp with an eye to taking up that spot.Hasek's departure left the Senators without a bona-fide No. 1 goaltender. Ray Emery inherited the role after Hasek went down with an injury at the Olympics in February and played well down the stretch and in the playoffs, but his lack of experience also led to the Senators spending $11.1 million US to sign Martin Gerber to a three-year deal.The 32-year-old was great in the regular season with Carolina last year, but eventually lost his job to Cam Ward during the Hurricanes' run to the Stanley Cup.Muckler said complacency was his team's ultimate downfall last year. The Senators were anything but that in the off-season and their hoping it pays off this time around."I think we have a little more depth than last year," Muckler said. "Bryan has more flexibility and I think that probably, as he said, we'll go to a blue-collar type of team and that means that he'd use all four lines and all of the people he has on the roster. Last year, we had a tendency to maybe go to our strengths rather than use everybody."</blockquote>

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