Believe it or not, the start of a new NHL season isn’t far off.
The annual Rookie Tournament gets started in Toronto in a month. Less than two weeks after that the Senators will open their preseason with back to back games against the Leafs. And then a couple weeks later, the games start for real when the Senators host the Washington Capitals at the Canadian Tire Centre.
This off-season has sort of zipped by so far. Granted, we are just entering the quietest month on the NHL calendar but the fact that the Sens were still playing hockey in late May makes for a surprisingly manageable hockey-free stretch.
With a new season just eight weeks away; this seems like a good time to take a closer look at the Senators schedule for next season.
With a trip to Sweden and an Outdoor Game both coming up before the end of the year, it’s going to make for a strange year for the Senators and especially in the back half where their schedule becomes quite condensed. Getting off to a good start is always important but with so many games in February and March (and 7 back to backs!), the Senators will want to bank as many points as possible in the first couple months of the season.
They may need that cushion down the stretch.
Let’s take a closer look at how the schedule breaks down.
OCTOBER
8 home/4 away
7 East/5 West
5 vs. playoff teams
2 back to backs
Highlights- Home opener vs. WSH on October 5th
NOVEMBER
6 home/5 away (including one each in Sweden)
7 East/4 West
5 vs. playoff teams
2 back to backs
Highlights- Two games vs. COL in Sweden on November 10th and 11th
DECEMBER
5 home/9 away
9 East/5 West
8 vs. playoff teams
3 back to backs
Highlights- Includes stretch where Sens play 10 of 11 on the road (Nov 29-Dec-12), Outdoor Game on December 16th vs. Montreal
JANUARY
6 home/5 away
6 East/5 West
8 vs. playoff teams
3 back to backs
Highlights- 7 day break from Jan 11-17
FEBRUARY
7 home/7 away
10 East/4 West
9 vs. playoff teams
2 back to backs
Highlights- Senators play four afternoon games (two home/two away) and four against the other three Conference Finalists from last season
MARCH
8 home/8 away
10 East/6 West
3 vs. playoff teams
5 back to backs
Highlights- Senators visit Vegas for the first time on March 2, 2018 and play Florida three times in three weeks.
APRIL
1 home/3 away
3 East/1 West
2 vs. playoff teams
1 back to back
Highlights- Senators end the season with a back to back in Pittsburgh and Boston
