35 games down, 21 to go.
It’s been a strange year for the Ottawa Senators. In the early-going, they sputtered. Real bad. Inconsistent goaltending and sub-par defending was the recurring theme around these parts and the result was a dreadful start to the year. And unfortunately, that slow start really did them in.
Because since that ugly January, the Senators have actually been kind of…good. The young players at the centre of this rebuild have all played key roles in the team’s success. Player development is the name of the game this season and it’s happening throughout the lineup.
The Ottawa Senators are gonna be a problem for the rest of the National Hockey League. And soon.
But with about a month and a half left in their regular season, the Sens are mostly relegated to the role of spoiler. Ten points back of the final playoff spot is just too steep a hill to climb. It’s not like the Senators have points in five straight games and it’s not as though the teams in front of them are stumbling and they don’t have four consecutive games coming up against the team they are chasing.
Hey wait a minute.
This is it. THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR.
Tonight’s opponent is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Fuck the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Just one change expected to the Ottawa lineup tonight as Braydon Coburn draws in while Christian Wolanin comes out.
Earlier in the day we learned that the Senators have placed the now 26-year old Wolanin on waivers. Pierre Dorion has apparently been quietly shopping the defenceman around the league but with limited interest, they’ve decided waivers is the best course of action.
It’s a disappointing turn of events for a player that many were hoping would take a big step forward this season. While his opportunities have been sporadic at best, he just hasn’t done enough in the eyes of the coaching staff to warrant more ice time. And honestly, he just hasn’t been the same player since returning from that shoulder injury last year.
Some fans were predictably disappointed by the news. Wolanin had become a fan favourite of sorts,. Although it seems like it was more the idea of Christian Wolanin that many fell in love with.
It will be interesting to see if anyone takes a chance on him tomorrow.
No game day skate for the Senators on the back to back but here’s how they’re expected to line up.
Tkachuk-Norris-C. Brown
Stützle-Tierney-Batherson
Paul-White-Dadonov
Dzingel-Bishop-Formenton
Chabot-Zaitsev
Reilly-Zub
Wolanin-J. Brown
No word on a starting goalie but he will certainly be Swedish.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:08 PM. The game can be viewed on televisions, listened to on radios and experienced through illegal internet streams.
Here’s a closer look at tonight’s match-up. Safe to say this one comes down to shots for.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 20-10-2 (42 pts) | 12-20-3 (27 pts) |
| Goals For | 3.34 (5th) | 2.57 (24th) |
| Goals Against | 2.59 (9th) | 3.74 (31st) |
| Power Play | 27.7% (4th) | 14.0% (T-27th) |
| Penalty Kill | 76.1% (21st) | 75.7% (23rd) |
| Shots For | 30.6 (10th) | 31.6 (5th) |
| Shots Against | 28.4 (8th) | 31.9 (28th) |
| Leading Scorers | Marner- 40 pts Matthews- 36 pts Tavares- 27 pts Nylander- 24 pts Rielly- 24 pts |
Tkachuk- 22 pts Batherson- 21 pts Chabot- 21 pts Stützle- 19 pts Norris- 18 pts |
| Starting Goalie | Jack Campbell 4-0-0 1.00 GAA, .965 sv% |
TBD |
