The Ottawa Senators got by with Brian Elliott between the pipes, but now it’s time to see if they can excel in front of Pascal Leclaire.

The team’s No. 1 netminder is expected to return to game action Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, exactly one month after an errant puck flew into the players’ bench and broke his cheekbone during a game against Washington.

“I’m really excited, especially getting a chance to do it before Christmas, it’s good,” Leclaire, who is 8-5-1 with a 2.71 goals-against average and .901 save percentage this season, said following practice Tuesday. “It has been a long time — freak things — but it’s behind me and it’s just great being around the guys again, and getting a chance to play.”

Meanwhile, Senators winger Chris Neil is also scheduled to return against the Penguins. He has been out since Nov. 25 with a knee injury and Clouston said he should add plenty of energy to the Senators’ game.

Classic return for gritty winger?

It has been a season to forget for Milan Lucic.

Sidelined with his second injury of the year — a high ankle sprain — the Boston Bruins winger is hoping for better luck come the new year.

In fact, Lucic, who sprained his ankle in late November, is targeting New Year’s Day and the NHL’s Winter Classic at Fenway Park for a return.

“It is in question, for sure,” Lucic said to the Boston Globe. “But like I said, it’s something we need to take day by day. We’ll see where it goes. Hopefully it progresses and gets better every day.

“Yeah, right around that time (Jan. 1), I should be scheduled to be back in the lineup. But again, until I’m 100 per cent and pain-free, that’s when I’ll be back in the lineup.”

The Bruins host the Philadelphia Flyers in the annual outdoor game.

King Marty’s record shouldn’t be slighted: teammate

Martin Brodeur has enjoyed the advantage of playing goal for a franchise that values defensive play above all else.

The New Jersey Devils would take a 2-1 victory over a 6-5 win any day.

On Monday, Brodeur broke Terry Sawchuk’s 39-year-old record for shutouts with the 104th goose egg of his career in a 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Skeptics contend Brodeur wouldn’t be close to the mark if he’d played for a less defensively-responsible organization, but teammate Jamie Langenbrunner wasn’t buying it.

“Wayne Gretzky played on an offensive juggernaut. Is Wayne Gretzky any less of a player because of that?” Langenbrunner said to the New York Post.

“Like I said when I handed him the puck, it’s been an honour playing with him, and it’s good to be a part of history,” Langenbrunner added.

Pricey piece of outdoor real estate

The Avon Old Farms and Taft hockey teams must really enjoy the great outdoors.

Earlier this week, two parents of players on the Connecticut prep school teams paid a combined $30,000 US for an exhibition tilt at Fenway Park — the site of this year’s NHL Outdoor Classic on New Year’s Day.

It was the first game played on the makeshift rink.

“This is like when we were young and we just went down to the pond,” Avon Old Farms sophomore Eric Mack said to the Hartford Courant. “This is like our first memories of hockey.”

The players (and parents) were fortunate to have good weather. The game was played under sunny skies with moderate temperatures.

The newspaper reported that no scoreboard was used, and the game was divided into halves of nearly 50 minutes each.

“I think both teams were into the spirit of the game and were just having some fun playing hockey on a sheet of ice,” Avon Old Farms coach John Gardner said to the Courant. “It’s a unique experience that most hockey players will never have. I think it is a great day for hockey and in particular high school hockey in Connecticut.”

Chara confused by boos

Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara doesn’t understand it, but every time he plays in Ottawa, the boo-birds are in full flight.

Chara played for the Senators from 2001-06 and was one of the most popular players in the city. He signed with the Bruins as a free agent on the summer of 2006 and has been there ever since.

“I don’t know. I can’t really control what the fans are doing, if they’re booing me or not. I played hard when I played for Ottawa, I always did my best and the organization, at that time, chose Wade Redden and I was fine with that and I had to move on,” said Chara.

“So when they decided to sign Wade instead of me, I had to move on and obviously management back then ... they made it look like I went for the money, but that wasn’t the case. Basically I liked my chances and options that I had in Boston and that’s why I chose Boston and I still believe in that, and it’s just too bad that they made it look, to the fans and to the public, like I went for the money.”

Stalberg out for Leafs

Whatever boost Viktor Stalberg brought to the Toronto Maple Leafs will be absent at least for the team’s Wednesday game against the New York Islanders.

The winger who scored two goals and had 14 shots in three games since being recalled from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies last week is day-to-day with an upper body injury, according to Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson.

“He can’t play (Wednesday), so he’s not going to come with us,” Wilson said after Toronto’s brisk hour-long practice Tuesday.

Stalberg appeared to hurt his shoulder when he collided with Buffalo forward Adam Mair during Toronto’s 3-2 overtime loss to Buffalo on Monday.

They said it:

“If I could figure David Backes out, I wouldn’t be a hockey coach, I’d be investing in the stock market because it is amazing it’s the same story with him every year. We can basically write off the first 25 games and then after that he gets it going.” — St. Louis coach Andy Murray on the frustration level dealing with his forward who has nine goals in 35 games this season after a 31-goal campaign last season.

“A year ago nobody asked me why I am not watching for myself, but now — on the eve of the Olympics — the question suddenly arises. I play hockey and enjoy it. If you don’t smash somebody, then you’ll be smashed.” — Capitals star Alex Ovechkin on his frequent collisions on ice.