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Photo by Nils Petter Nilsson/Ombrello / Getty Images

“He has the grit and the passion to do what is right for the club and right or wrong — he takes the applause and the boos,” Melnyk wrote of Dorion. “He does an excellent job. I am pleased with his performance.”

Melnyk added that he believes Boucher and the staff are doing “a terrific job” and is confident the Senators can get back on track to push for a playoff spot.

Yes, the Senators participated in the 2014 Heritage Classic against the Vancouver Canucks at B.C. Place Stadium, but rain that day forced the closure of the roof and they brought in fake snow to fill the infield, so it really wasn’t an outdoor game except for the fact it was called one.

With more than 36,000 fans on hand Saturday at Lansdowne, the game against the Canadiens will be massive in scale alone, but it will be about much more than the spectacle for the Senators. While they didn’t close the gap with Wednesday’s win, they are only seven points back of the Boston Bruins for the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division with plenty of hockey left to play.

Photo by Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS

As Dorion noted during his news conference, there’s “no quit” in the Senators and he’s confident the club can find its way back into the playoff race because the group of players they have assembled haven’t performed up to their expectations.

Since word leaked Saturday that the Senators had asked captain Erik Karlsson for his no-trade list and Postmedia reported Monday that Dorion was open for business after a 5-0 loss in San Jose on Saturday night, the GM’s phone has been ringing off the hook from counterparts across the league that are willing to “help.”