Hurricane downgraded to tropical storm.

Sens won 5 to 3 (empty netter included). Hockey Country, of course, has a great rundown on the game.

The Sens have back to back games - visiting the Islanders on Friday and back home to play Boston on the Saturday night game.

UPDATE: Looks like both Redden and Havlat will be out for these games. Smolinski is expected to be back in the lineup.


If you didn't hear it elsewhere, Chris Neil missed yesterday's game after his mother was killed in a tragic car accident yesterday.

A wife and mother of four sons, Neil was active in the lives of her family and in the community. She was instrumental in the establishment of a festival in her son Chris’ name that raised money for the Markdale hospital fund and for the reconstruction of the Flesherton arena after it was seriously damaged in a fire.

.....

Chris Neil, in a 2004 interview, credited his mother with pushing him toward his goal of playing in the National Hockey League. He said she used to follow him in the family car while he ran to get in the best possible shape.

"She’s a big part of the reason why I’m in the NHL today," he said. "She drove me everywhere, put a lot of money towards hockey for all of her boys. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my family."

Neil’s agent, Todd Reynolds, said Neil kept saying he couldn’t believe it Tuesday.
"He’s devastated," Reynolds told the Ottawa Sun. "He was very close to his mother. All the family was.
"She was the glue that held them all together. She was such a strong lady. She was soft-spoken and strong-willed."