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In terms of raw skill, the Ottawa Senators are looking up – way up – at most of their National Hockey League rivals.

If they have any hope of making up for that talent gap following the trades of Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson, it’s by pushing harder and longer than their opponents night after night.

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“We need to use our work ethic to our advantage,” right winger Mark Stone said following a 90-minute practice Monday. “If you look at the best teams in the league, they’re outworking their opponents and they’re letting their skill take over. Sometimes, last season, we just tried to rely on our skill. This year, it’s going to have to change.”

Given that, nobody should have been surprised by the tone of the workout on display.

The opening hour of Monday’s practice offered up a fairly standard meal of line rushes and defensive zone coverages. For dessert, however, coach Guy Boucher served up one wind sprint after another, occasionally calling out players for cutting corners.