We know hockey players are tough, but just how banged up are the Ottawa Senators after four weeks of playoff battle?

"I've got seven guys who would never play in the regular season right now, ever. They'd be on the sidelines. They are pressing us to play," Senators owner Eugene Melnyk told Prime Time Sports. "One of the boys, he had a cut into the right side just under his rib, and it was as gross as you could ever see - and he's playing, every shift."

Of course, the biggest injury involves captain Erik Karlsson, who was unusually honest after his ailment, announcing prior to Round 2 he has been playing with two hairline fractures in his left foot.

But most impressive has been Karlsson's knack to keep up his high level of play, despite the injury. The offensive blue-liner leads the Senators with 13 points in 12 games.

"When you talk about Karlsson, he's just beyond the best. Many times, I've tried to compare him but there is no comparison on him," Melnyk said. "Every time you think (Karlsson) is in the windshield, he turns out to be a fly somewhere else. He is so good. You're seeing what you're getting. Imagine him healthy."

Karlsson has delivered for the Senators, notching two game-winners in the postseason, including the tally that sealed their second-round series against the New York Rangers.

"I went down to the dressing room after we won," Melnyk continued. "You look at the guy and he could hardly walk, almost carried into the shower when he took his skates off ... How he loses that or controls that pain, I have no idea."

After knocking off the Boston Bruins and the Rangers, the Senators will face their most difficult task this spring in lining up against the defending champion Penguins. A series win would mark Ottawa's first trip to the Stanley Cup Final since 2007.

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