Oilers playing an excellent defensive game but we stuck to it." Despite Tuesdays win, the Oilers

John Tortorella was contrite with the media in his first public statement since being handed a 15-day suspension by the National Hockey League. "I apologize first and foremost to the players, to the organization and to the league," Tortorella told reporters in Detroit Monday morning. "It hasnt been a great two weeks." Tortorella is slated to make his return to the Canucks bench tonight against the Detroit Red Wings after the League suspended him for his actions against the Calgary Flames on Jan. 18. Angered by a game-opening brawl, Tortorella tried to confront Flames coach Bob Hartley – who iced his fourth line to start the game -in the Calgary locker room between periods. Tortorella wasnt allowed to have any contact with his team during the suspension. As for his teams performance of late, Tortorella was adamant that the Canucks will get better. "Were off the rails on a lot of different aspects," Torotrella said. "Every aspect of our game is off. This team can and will play the right way. "We had meetings this morning, we have a long list of things we need to improve at. We need to start over on the mental side." The Canucks – who were seventh in the Western Conference before the now-infamous Calgary game – are now in eighth with just a one-point lead over the Phoenix Coyotes for the Conferences final wild card playoff spot. They have lost three in a row and are just 3-7 over their last 10 games. "Weve let a lot of teams back into the picture here, weve got a job to do and were going to face it head on," Tortorella added. "Were in a tough spot right now. Its up to me to do my job and get this team back." After winning Sundays Heritage Classic game in Vancouver, there is a sense that perhaps the Senators can use that victory as a springboard down the stretch. One would think that winning one of the NHLs signature events – with 50,000 fans watching in the stadium and a larger-than-normal television audience – could propel this team onto a much-needed winning streak. But looking at the brief history of these events, there is hardly any connection between winning an outdoor game and any subsequent success in the NHL. A few years ago, the 2008 Penguins and the 2009 Red Wings each made it to the Stanley Cup Final in the same year after winning the Winter Classic game – although that was more likely the result of having a powerhouse lineup than anything to do with playing in an outdoor game. For the Senators, a better comparable would be to look at some of the less dominant teams that have won an outdoor game and how that affected them immediately afterwards. This season, for example, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Winter Classic in Ann Arbor – but then turned around and lost their next four games. In 2011, the Calgary Flames beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 in the Heritage Classic at McMahon Stadium. The Flames ended up losing three of their next five games, so any momentum they gained from winning the outdoor game was non-existent. The same can be said for the 2003-04 Montreal Canadiens, who beat the Edmonton Oilers in the first-ever outdoor game at Commonwealth Stadium. The Habs managed to win only two of their next five games – although they did manage a pair of ties as well. This seasonn, we even saw the Anaheim Ducks stumble after winning the outdoor game at Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Kings.dddddddddddd The Ducks lost four of their next five games – marking their worst stretch of the regular season. The same thing happened to the 2010 Boston Bruins and the 2011 Washington Capitals – each team lost four of their next five games after winning the Winter Classic. So in many cases, it seems like teams suffer a letdown – rather than an uplift – following a big win in an outdoor game. Heres a look at how every team that has won an outdoor game fared in their next 5 games: 2003-04 Montreal Canadiens – Won Heritage Classic 4-3 at EdmontonNext 5 games: 2-1-2 record 2007-08 Pittsburgh Penguins – Won Winter Classic 2-1 at BuffaloNext 5 games: 4-1-0 record 2008-09 Detroit Red Wings – Won Winter Classic 6-4 at ChicagoNext 5 games: 4-1-0 record 2009-10 Boston Bruins– Won Winter Classic 2-1 at BostonNext 5 games: 1-4-0 record 2010-11 Washigton Capitals – Won Winter Classic 3-1 at PittsburghNext 5 games: 1-2-2 record 2010-11 Calgary Flames – Won Heritage Classic 4-0 at CalgaryNext 5 games: 2-2-1 record 2011-12 New York Rangers – Won Winter Classic 3-2 at PhiladelphiaNext 5 games: 4-1-0 record 2013-14 Toronto Maple Leafs – Won Winter Classic 3-1 at Ann ArborNext 5 games – 1-4-0 record 2013-14 Anaheim Ducks – Won Stadium Series 3-0 at Los AngelesNext 5 games – 1-4-0 record 2013-14 NY Rangers – Swept Stadium Series 7-3 (Devils) and 2-1 (Islanders) at New YorkNext 5 games: 4-1-0 record ' ' '