Opening night... another journey begins!

So here we are, minutes away from the drop of the puck for the 2007-2008 season. It wasn't so long ago we sat, eagerly anticipating the Ottawa Senators' first game in franchise history against the Montreal Canadiens. Much has happened since that night... spectacular regular season wins and losses, adrenaline pumping playoff series wins and crushing defeats.

Last year, we got to ride the wave right to the bitter end - and it was a bitter end.

I just watched TSN's intro to the season - the standings are zeroed out and players come on one by one proclaiming that they believe this will be their season, that everyone's in first place (except for Anaheim and Los Angeles, I guess!) and that tonight, anything and everything is possible.

It's tough to watch and think about what's happened to recent Stanley Cup finalist teams... Edmonton and Carolina didn't make the playoffs last year, nor did the pre-lockout finalists. Anaheim has lost some key players in the weeks that have gone by since they got to skate around with the Cup, but Ottawa has strengthened itself somewhat - inking Dany Heatley to a multi-year contract extension is a key move that secures Ottawa's future... and this season especially.

Ray Emery's on the shelf while his injury that never goes away heals. How he managed to play most of last season with it being hurt and now having to sit there and wait and wait must be tough.

But isn't this both Martin Gerber and the Sens organization's dream come true? If the team's goal was to move Gerber but nobody wanted to take him because of his performance to start 2006-2007 and his salary, this is a perfect opportunity to showcase his abilities in the coming days and weeks. Once Emery comes back, and if he proves himself, someone will see Gerber's an OK player and will take him and his salary off the Senators' books. If and when that happens, a couple more moves will be possible for GM Bryan Murray.

"WE BELIEVE" - nice slogan or motto, TSN. Here's to a new season - and who knows... we never thought at this time last year that we'd make it where we did. Now we know we can do it - let's go, boys!

GO SENS GO!!!!