from Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun,

The Senators' "tragic number" is four, meaning any combination of their lost points or points gained by Boston, Detroit and Pittsburgh adding up to that digit kills their run.

The Senators, who lose all tiebreakers, need to either win out and hope that one of the above stumbles home at 1-2-0 or 1-1-1, or else take two-of-three and count on the Bruins, Red Wings or Penguins taking no more than one point from the final six that remain on each of their tables.

Naturally, Ottawa's best bet is to finish 3-0.

"We have to keep going, keep fighting," red-hot goalie Andrew Hammond said in the visitors dressing room at ACC. "There's three games left, one week left in the season, and it's up to us to get ourselves into the playoffs."

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