It was probably one of the worst weekends of hockey in recent memory. A shocking loss to the Montreal Canadiens followed by a fairly uninspired performance against the Colorado Avalanche the next night. And what’s worse for the Ottawa Senators- it came with their season on the line.
After two crushing losses, I am done with the term must win. The Senators now find themselves in a situation where they pretty much have to run the table if they want to make the playoffs.
With just 15 games left in their season, the Ottawa Senators certainly have their backs against the wall. I will say this though- They come into tonight trailing the Rangers by 7 points. That’s a huge gap. But Ottawa does have two games in hand. If we foolishly assume those games are wins, the gap is 3 points. The Senators play the Rangers tonight and again before the season is over. If you’re like me and you’re looking for any shred of hope to cling to, there it is.
No changes expected for the Senators. Here is how Head Coach Paul MacLean has them lined up at the morning skate.
MacArthur-Turris-Ryan
Michalek-Spezza-Hemsky
Greening-Smith-Neil
Hoffman-Zibanejad-Condra
Methot-Karlsson
Phillips-Ceci
Cowen-Gryba
Craig Anderson was on the ice with the team during this morning’s skate but is not expected to dress tonight. That means Robin Lehner makes a third straight start in the Ottawa goal. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:30 PM.
