The game against the Flames on Wednesday night obviously wasn’t Ottawa’s best effort. Unlike the three games prior, the Senators were dominated for most of the game and were lucky to come away with the two points.
They’ll be looking for a much more complete effort as they kick off a weekend home and home against the Detroit Red Wings.
It goes without saying but these games against Detroit could be huge later in the season. With the Habs and Lightning expected to run away with the Atlantic Division, the Wings are going to be one of the team’s Ottawa has to battle for third in the Division and the last couple playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
Like Ottawa, Detroit has had sort of an inconsistent start to their season. They come into this weekend back to back with a 4-4-1 record which has them sitting a point behind the Sens. Their last game was a 3-1 loss at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes.
While they’ve had their struggles early in the season, this Wings team still has a ton of firepower up front including some talented young players. Dylan Larkin in particular has turned heads in the early going. A first round pick in the 2014 draft, Larkin has five points in his first nine games as a pro. Larkin along with other skilled players like Nyquist, Jurco, Tatar and Pulkkinen should keep the Senators defence busy the next couple nights.
Injuries continue to be a bit of an issue for the Senators as both Mike Hoffman and Curtis Lazar are expected to miss another game. Hoffman joined the Senators on the trip but will likely wait till tomorrow nigh to make his return. Lazar is feeling a bit better apparently but as you’d expect, the Senators are being cautious with his concussion.
With those two out, Shane Prince and Matt Puempel get another chance to show what they can do. Both guys were pretty quiet in that game against Calgary. Here’s how Dave Cameron has his team lined up at the morning skate.
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Andrew Hammond gets the start in the Ottawa goal. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:30 PM.
