Article content continued

What we do know is that defenceman Ben Harpur, who struggled Saturday, will be replaced in the lineup by Freddy Claesson.

No matter what the outside opinion of Borowiecki is, he’ll always be a favourite inside the Senators’ dressing room.

“The last game, he was all over the ice,” Smith said. “You can see the confidence he is playing with, and a guy like that is hard to replace. As a physical guy, I love having him out there. He leads the way and guys know when he’s out there. You’ve got to be aware. He has made really good strides over the last few games and (Saturday) was a good example of how well he’s playing.”

Smith, who registered two assists against the Rangers, has also played a significant role in the resurgence of centre Derick Brassard and winger Mark Stone.

Smith, whose hard-edged game certainly makes him a possible trade option before the deadline on Feb. 26, has created space for his more offensively gifted linemates.

“You want the puck in their hands,” Smith said. “My job is open it up, maybe use my speed to draw the defence back a bit and get them the puck because, when they’re going, they’re two of the best players in the league. Lots of shifts I play, I might not get touches out there. It’s (about) creating room for them.”

The way Boucher sees it, though, Smith’s style can become contagious.

“People want to see skilled players together (all the time), but you also need drive,” Boucher said. “You need two guys that drive per line or else … if you’re two soft with one hard, the hard becomes soft. Those guys, when we put all three together, all three are hard. They’ve defended well. They’ve attacked well. They gave us momentum. They’re in sync. They followed the plan. It’s everything we’re trying to do.”