Eugene Melnyk awoke early Tuesday to the ground shaking at his Barbados home when a 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck northeast of the island.

He was fine and fortunately there was no damage on the tiny island.

After a 10-day break following a 7-2 loss Feb. 8 in Boston, the Senators go back to work Wednesday with a 2 p.m. skate at the Bell Sensplex to begin their preparations for a visit by the Detroit Red Wings next Thursday.

The Senators' owner isn't thrilled with being on the outside of the playoffs looking in during the Olympic break, but he's confident his team will be able to book a spot in the post-season by the end.

"If we can play the way we played the last 23 games, where we went 12-6-5, that will give us 92 points and that will make it really tight. You want to get 94 (points) and that will get you in," Melnyk told the Sun in an interview Tuesday.

"I told (GM) Bryan (Murray) back in November that we're going to be sitting side-by-side on that last day because it's going to come down to the last week and the last weekend for sure."

During the break, Melnyk had a chance to catch up with coach Paul MacLean, who was in Barbados on vacation. Melnyk is happy only Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek are in Sochi.

"The good news is our guys are all rested," said Melnyk. "It's almost fortunate that we started off slow because if my guys were hot in the beginning of the season they'd all be at the Olympics right now.

"I remember us losing (in 2006) because we had 12 guys at the Olympics. Everybody fell apart and they were tired. It was tough. I understand the idea of a mid-term break. Guys can come back and, hopefully, they tear up the ice."

Melnyk is on board with Murray adding a power forward before the March 5 trade deadline. If that means spending extra money, Melnyk will do it.

"Especially when it's this tight," said Melnyk. "I'm a true believer that once the playoff starts there's no such thing as one-pointers. It's for all the marbles.

"At that point, anything can happen and I think that's where you really get the benefit of not having people in the Olympics, fresh legs as well. I know (Murray) is talking to people all the time even though he took a little break he said he's on the phone daily almost."

Melnyk predicted if the club does acquire somebody it won't happen until right at the deadline.

"Some teams need three or four more games before they say, 'We don't have a shot and we're not in,'" said Melnyk. "Right now, there are six teams that aren't in and I think by March 5 there will be eight teams that will basically say they're not going to get there.

"(Murray's) looking. If we can get a power forward in there that's the only piece we need subject to any injuries. Knock on wood with that one because we've had a very good year with injuries compared to some other ones."

After signing a massive regional broadcast deal for TV/radio that kicks in next year, Melnyk confirmed the Senators won't be a cap team next year and they'll continue to live within a budget.

"This is not a money machine for me. It's quite the contrary," said Melnyk. "At the end of the day, at one point, you sit back and you say, 'Any guy would have packed it in a long time ago and said get me out of here I'm not going to keep feeding this thing.'

"People like me love the game and want to stay in the game. To stay in the game you need to have some kind of budget. This is what I don't get: Everybody else on the planet, everybody knows what they make and everybody knows what they spend. It's called a budget. It's a very simple word and concept. You can't just go in and spend to the max."

Melnyk doesn't believe the cap will just keep rising and will max out.

"At some point you could be stuck because the cap has come down. Then, you go, 'Wait a minute, it's come down and I've got to unload $5 or $10 million worth of salary.' That day will come," said Melnyk. "It's like the stock market. You can't go straight up all the time. Eventually there's correction and it rebuilds. You've got to leave yourself with some room.

"I don't care if people criticize me. The fact is the team has survived in very difficult circumstances."

Melnyk is ready for what could be a topsy-turvy ride down the stretch.

"Olympic hockey is nice but it's nothing compared to what we're about to go through in the last 23 games," said Melnyk. "There are no excuses now. We either get it done or we don't."

Melnyk not sold on NHL Olympic participation

Eugene Melnyk has mixed feelings on a return to the Olympic stage.

While he supports 12 Olympic amateur athletes through donations to the Can Fund program, the Senators' owner isn't convinced the NHL should be shutting down to let players head overseas.

The NHL has said it will decide within six months whether the schedule will stop in 2018 to allow players to head to South Korea but there has been mounting opposition from owners.

"There's no question I support the Olympics," said Melnyk, who donates $500,000 directly to Canadian athletes.

"That being said, basically you are risking your players going to the Olympics. Look at what happened to (Dominik) Hasek (in 2006) when he went. He gets hurt playing for the Czech Republic.

"God forbid something happens to (Erik) Karlsson. I know there's some very vocal guys out there who are very much against it. I'm on the fence but it could sway me if I had one of my top stars get hurt again. You're kind of torn because you support the Olympic movement in a big way."

Melnyk said he can't lean one way or another because he wants to hear both sides of the argument.

"There's going to be a big discussion fairly soon and I'm very neutral on it. I'm not for it. I'm not against it. I'm going to let other people kind of direct me," said Melnyk.

bruce.garrioch@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @sungarrioch