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Wiercioch thinks Sens need to return to ‘pesky mentality’

Toronto Maple Leafs v Ottawa Senators

Patrick Wiercioch

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These are uncertain times for the Ottawa Senators. After making the playoffs in back-to-back campaigns, the Senators struggled without Daniel Alfredsson in 2013-14 and failed to earn a postseason berth. Then Jason Spezza demanded a trade and the Senators consequently lost their captain for the second time in two years.

Defenseman Patrick Wiercioch thinks that the Senators can remain competitive, but in order to do that they will have to return to the style that made them successful in the first place.

“I think first and foremost we’ve got to get back to playing hard,” Wiercioch told the Ottawa Sun. “We don’t want our fans to think that certain nights we’ve given up or anything. I think a couple of years ago we had that pesky mentality, and it almost rallied us in games we weren’t supposed to be in, it kept us in them. I think that’s the identify we’ve just got to try and form early on, and not wait so late in the season.”

As is the case with the team, the future is uncertain for Wiercioch. The 23-year-old offensive defenseman has a lot of potential, but he was a healthy scratch 29 times in 2013-14. The Senators have seven defensemen signed to one-way contracts, not including Cody Ceci, so it’s possible that he could be traded before the season starts.

Wiercioch acknowledged as much, although he certainly hopes that Ottawa will decide to keep him. For now though, all he can do is get ready for 2014-15 with the mindset that he will be part of the Senators’ attempt to bounce back.

Follow @RyanDadoun