(UPDATE 1:52 PM)- According to a tweet from Jeff Cox –a scout and freelance writer with ESPN Boston- we can expect to hear about a Colin White contract in the next 24 hours. Obviously we’ll take this one with a grain of salt for now but this would certainly be good news for the organization. Worth noting that at this point, nobody on the Ottawa side of things is confirming this news, so far. Also, this doesn’t really tell us much about where White would finish the season.
There is not one player in that locker room that can be satisfied with the way they played in those two weekend games against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Senators had a chance to not only solidify their own playoff position but to seriously challenge for the top spot in the Atlantic Division…and they let it slip through their fingers.
For a team that has worked so hard to put themselves in a good spot down the stretch, it was a disappointing couple days and perhaps a bit of a wake up call. Now instead of looking up at the top spot, they have to be aware of the teams closing in behind them.
And that’s why, for the first time this season, it is…THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR.
Heading into tonight’s action the Senators sit four points clear of the Boston Bruins and with a game in hand. The Maple Leafs did Ottawa a favour by beating the Bruins in regulation but now suddenly, the Leafs are only five points back of Ottawa. The 9th seeded New York Islanders are eight points back. While there’s still some breathing room there for the Senators, they need to snap this losing streak and solidify their spot in the Eastern Conference.
It won’t come easy against a desperate Boston Bruins team.
After firing Claude Julien in early February, the Bruins seemed to have turned the corner a little bit and look like they could be a tough team to face in a seven game series. They’ve gone an impressive 12-5-0 with Cassidy behind the bench and are finally turning consistent possession numbers into positive results.
They rank 2nd in the league in shots per game, 2nd in shots against per game and 2nd on the penalty kill. Their top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Backes has been as good as any trio in the league. Containing them will be crucial for the Senators tonight.
The Bruins did play last night in Toronto and in theory, that should give the Senators a bit of an edge. Scoring first would certainly help take advantage of a potentially fatigued team. Ottawa has given up the first goal in six straight games.
The Senators are on the ice for their morning skate at 11:30 AM but we’ll assume they go with the same line up for now. These forward combinations could certainly use a shuffle though. Hoffman needs to be with either Turris or Brassard. We’ll find out what Guy Boucher is thinking when he meets with the media later this morning.
Smith-Turris-Ryan
Dzingel-Brassard-Burrows
Hoffman-Pageau-Pyatt
Stalberg-Kelly-Wingels
Methot-Karlsson
Phaneuf-Ceci
Borowiecki-Wideman
Craig Anderson is in the starter’s end at the morning skate. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:00 PM.
