The Senators' Game 3 changes didn't include the addition of their former first rounder who stands 6-foot-5, 230-lbs. and provided a definite impact in the 2013 Ottawa-Montreal playoff series.

Just as well, figures the big man himself.

"Fifty-fifty," Jared Cowen said Sunday morning when asked how much he'd like to get into the current best-of-seven. "I haven't played a game in forever, so I think it's almost pretty hard to get back in there and feel good about coming back in at this point."

Selected ninth overall by the Senators in 2009, Cowen suited up in just 54 games this season and only five since Feb. 21, when a suspension for a high hit followed by a flu bug sidelined him for a week. Essentially, he lost his job to Patrick Wiercioch during that period.

Keeping mentally prepared to play is as taxing as the physical aspect, Cowen admitted.

"You've just got to not care sometimes," said Cowen. "Be ready if your name gets called, but right now I just ... I mean, I care about playoffs and everything, I want to play, but you can't expect to come in here every day and have the mindset of a guy whose going to play. If you do that you just get burned out and go crazy probably."

Cowen fondly remembers the '13 series, especially Game 3. Not only did the Senators thump the Habs 6-1, but he did a number on Ryan White during the line brawl.

This spring, if the Senators go on a run or lose a player, he knows his number could be called again.

"It'd probably be different if I played more than five of the last 25 games," Cowen said of his current mindset. "Probably be a little more realistic to feel like I was going to get in there, but obviously injuries happen, and I'm not naive as to how the playoffs are. I've been around different playoff situations, I know that guys are going to play no matter what."

Asked to pinpoint how his season unraveled, Cowen was vague.

"There's various things," he said. "Some things I can't say, some things I just wish (played with) more consistency, or just figured things out, or had more support or whatever you want to call it.

"Obviously I wish it went better."

Cowen still has two years on his contract after this one that pay him $3.7 million and $4.5 million, respectively.

How does he get himself in the coach's good graces going forward?

"That's a good question, because I don't know the answer," he said. "I guess you just play better.

"I hope there's not too much more to it, that I've got bigger problems than just playing (better) ... I don't know."