A week ago, the Ottawa Senators were beaten at home by the Boston Bruins, and it seemed very much that the miracle playoff dream had ended.

Well, at least to almost everyone not actually wearing a Senators sweater.

Inside that room, despite that gut-wrenching loss, the Senators spoke about having lots of games left to make it interesting.

"We talked about it; we knew at the time it was an important game, but we also knew it wasn’t the be-all, end-all. We still had 17 games left after that," Senators center Kyle Turris told ESPN.com Monday.

Ottawa goaltender Andrew Hammond went 10-0-1 in his first 11 NHL starts. Aaron Poole/Getty Images

"We were confident in our group despite that loss. We know what we’re capable of. Win or lose that game, we knew we’d still have to get hot after that to catch either Boston or Washington. It was a frustrating loss, but to come out of it and win three straight after that, to show that kind of character, to keep the pressure on Boston, that says a lot about our group."

Wins over the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers have pulled the Senators back to within five points of Boston for the final wild-card spot in the East.

And it just so happens that those same Bruins are back in Ottawa on Thursday night -- a chance at redemption for the Senators.

But first, and this is the tricky part, the Senators must not look ahead of Tuesday night's game at Carolina; they must avoid the traditional pitfall of the trap game with the Bruins in the back of their minds.

"Yeah, definitely," Turris said. "We’ve had our struggles against Carolina in the past. It’s going to be a tough game for us. We want to take advantage of every game we have in hand, especially. Every point is important for us."

The Sens are only 1-10-1 in their past 12 games at Carolina, so they won't be looking past the Hurricanes (26-34-8).

A month ago nobody was talking about the Senators, who seemed even by their own admission to be playing for next season. Then, out of nowhere came an 11-1-1 run, which began Feb. 18.

"I feel like everybody is on the same page now," Turris said of explaining the turnaround.

Turris said the coaching change from Paul MacLean to Dave Cameron meant tweaks to the system that took a bit to adjust to, plus there were injuries.

"But the past month, everyone has really got on the same page, we all know the system real well, we’re all leaning on each other and pulling through for each other and helping each other out within that system," said Turris. "Everyone is playing so well, it’s been a lot of fun. It’s been a great atmosphere."

Former NHL forward Ray Ferraro has worked a number of Senators games for TSN this season. Via email, Ferraro identified three reasons for the Sens’ turnaround:

"1. Injuries to some veterans and the coaching change led to a faster, more skilled team, with bigger roles for [Mark] Stone, [Mika] Zibanejad, [Mike] Hoffman, [Jean-Gabriel] Pageau, among others. 2. The return of [Marc] Methot re-organized the defense in terms of roles and minutes, and the difference in [Erik] Karlsson's play after Methot's return is noticeable [both] visually and for those that need number support. 3. Andrew Hammond's play. He wasn't expected to play one minute this year, and the team has rallied around an unlikely backstop."

"Those are biggest things I have seen," Ferraro added. "They are aggressive, fast and confident right now."

Ah yes, Andrew Hammond, aka the Hamburglar. The 27-year-old near afterthought took advantage to injuries to both Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner last month to drop into Ottawa’s lineup after his AHL call-up and simply went 10-0-1 in his first 11 NHL starts.

"It’s been a blast to be a part of," Turris said of the Hammond phenomenon. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. He’s just stood on his head and given us the opportunity every game to win. He’s made saves that most people shouldn’t be able to make. I can’t say enough good things about him. It’s good that it’s happening to him, because he’s a very quiet, humble person. He deserves every bit of the success he’s had here."

Turris, third on the team in scoring with 46 points (17 goals, 29 assists) in 68 games, agrees another important factor has been the growth of the team’s younger players. Not that Turris himself is old at 25, but greener players such as 21-year-old center Mika Zibanejad and rookies such as Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone have played their best hockey during this stretch.

"They’ve really matured," said Turris. "Mika has really come on; he’s played great. Hoffman’s been a goal scorer all year; he just seems to have a knack for finding the back of the net. I’ve been playing with Stoner. He sees the ice so well. He’s so smart. He’s up there in the league lead for takeaways; he’s a lizard with his stick. It’s neat to see them grow and develop and turn into what they’re capable of doing."

The excitement in Turris’ voice is palpable. The Sens are on fire, they can feel it, they can smell a chance.

First comes the visit to Carolina on Tuesday, and then the Bruins beckon Thursday.

"It’s going to be a real fun game," Turris said of the Boston match. "It seems like over the past three or four years, every game against Boston has been a battle. It seems like a rivalry similar emotion-wise to us against Montreal or us against Toronto. It doesn’t quite have the same media thing behind it, but it’s a huge rivalry of ours. We’re confident in our group when we play them."

Well, they’re confident against anyone right now.