OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators won't have any excuses for not paying attention this week: They have only two games.

It's their payback for having played the most games in the National Hockey League so far this season, 58.

After back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers, they won't play again until Monday afternoon on Long Island.

It'll almost be like another All-Star Game break, albeit with daily practices.

The Senators left Sunday with the players' fathers aboard for the annual fatherson trip. If having their dads along increases the desire to impress them - it does, says captain Daniel Alfredsson, whose father, Hasse, is among those on the trip - it could well be the tonic the team needs.

"Hopefully we can put on a good show for the old folks," Alfredsson said.

After going 2-6-2 in their past 10 games, the Senators need a boost in these two important games.

The Lightning is having a fight to stay out of the Eastern Conference basement, but going into Sunday night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was 7-1-2 in the past 10. At home, Tampa Bay is 15-8-2.

The game against the Panthers will be more interesting from the perspective of the playoff race, since the Senators could end up fighting the Panthers - or the Washington Capitals, as it appears at the moment - for the final playoff spot.

The advantage the Senators take into these games is that they have already beaten both teams twice in Ottawa.

Plus they have their dads around to ride shotgun.

"I think we all want to do well," Alfredsson said. "It's not always going to happen, but I think everybody wants to show off for their dads and I don't think that's ever going to change because your old man is your old man.

"He's not going to be impressed with too much. I mean, you've got to make sure you do something extra."

Ordinarily, the Senators would leave Monday for a Tuesday game, but the team left Sunday so the players could have some social time with their fathers in Tampa. Also, today's practice was scheduled for 2 p.m. to give everyone a chance to sleep in.

Getting to meet all the fathers does a lot for team chemistry, Alfredsson said.

"It's a great show for them, and it's a great thrill, especially for us," he said. "There have been a lot of changes over the last year. You get to meet a lot of different dads and hang out and get to know each other better."

"It kind of expands the whole family here in the locker-room, the extended family," Alfredsson said. "It's something we really look forward to and something I know the dads are exuberant about. I know my dad couldn't wait to go on this trip even though he has done a few before."

BETTER DEFENCE

A pleasant surprise is that, through 58 games, the Senators aren't having problems scoring goals. They're eighth in the 30-team league with an average of 2.83 per game.

However, their goalsagainst average is one of the league's worst. They're 28th at 3.09. That's reflected in Craig Anderson's stats.

While he has played the most games of any NHL goalie (52) and faced the most shots (1,557), his GAA of 3.01 is 63rd and his save percentage of .908 is 50th. That's unfortunate because it doesn't reflect how well he's played or how valuable Anderson has been. He's tied for fourth in the league in victories with 25.

THEY CAN'T ALL BE WRONG

Another worrisome stat is that the Senators are the fifthmost penalized team in the league: a total of 791 minutes or an average of 13.6 minutes per game. Because the team's penalty-killing unit is only 19th, that's a number it needs to reduce.

THE SENATORS THIS WEEK

Tuesday: Senators at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m., Tampa Bay Times Forum. TV: Sportsnet East, RDS. Radio: The Team 1200 AM, CKOI 104.7 FM.

As the week begins, the Senators have played the most games in the NHL, 58, but they have only two games this week and then don't play again until next Monday. They've already beaten the Lightning twice in Ottawa, 4-2 and 4-1. While the Lightning is struggling to stay out of the Eastern Conference basement, it has played well at home, 15-8-2. The Senators are 13-11-5 on the road.

Wednesday: Senators at Florida Panthers, 7: 30 p.m., BankAtlantic Center. TV: None. Radio: The Team 1200 AM, CKOI 104.7 FM.

If you want to follow this game, you'll have to listen to it on the radio. It is the only Senators game not on TV this season. Here's hoping that broadcasters Dean Brown and Gord Wilson have a good night. The Senators have beaten the Panthers twice in Ottawa, 4-3 and 4-3 in overtime. This is a critical game since the battle for the eighth and final playoff spot could come down to a battle between these two teams. The surprising Panthers are 14-5-7 in Sunrise, Florida.