Through the first 34 games of the season, fans of the Ottawa Senators have a lot to be thankful for.
While expectations were low coming into this season, the team has actually been surprisingly competitive. Thanks for that, fellas. A handful of the team’s young players have taken significant steps forward. Again, thanks. And there haven’t been too many games as dreadful as last night’s effort in Florida. So thanks, Sens.
Because if games like that were the norm this season, it would be tough to sit through an entire 82 game schedule.
It was a night where almost nothing good happened for the Senators. The Panthers took a two-goal lead early in the second period and my eyes mostly glazed over the rest of the way. There’s was a brief Arty Party but it was completely spoiled by a barrage of goals by someone named Noel Acciari and what I assume was a contest-winner, Dominic Toninato.
It was…not good.
The Ottawa Senators look to flush that effort when they return to the ice in Tampa Bay.
The Lightning are one of a handful of team’s in the Eastern Conference that have sort of failed to live up to expectations to this point of the season. On the heels of a President’s Trophy winning season and a remarkably efficient playoff run, Tampa Bay looked the part of an on-paper contender again this year.
But they have stumbled out of the blocks a little bit, sitting outside of a playoff spot heading into tonight’s action.
The good news for Tampa Bay is they’ve played a couple less games than most of the teams around them in the standings and they play in what is a dreadful Atlantic Division.
A win tonight and they’d be tied with Florida for third in the division. A loss and they are only three points clear of the rebuilding Ottawa Senators. The Atlantic Division is dangerously close to being cancelled.
Meanwhile the Senators come into this game nestled comfortably in 29th overall.
The 30th place New Jersey Devils are four points back of Ottawa with a couple games in hand. They did trade their best player for a handful of magic beans and replace their Head Coach with a season ticket holder though so their commitment to the tank should not be underestimated.
No morning skate for the Senators today but hopefully there’s at least a night-time twirl this time around. We’ll assume same line up for now but it would not be at all surprising to see Max Lajoie and Mikkel Boedker both draw in.
Tkachuk-Pageau-Brown
Namestnikov-Tierney-Duclair
Ennis-Anisimov-Etihw
Paul-Brown-Beaudin/Boedker
Chabot-Goloubef
Brannstrom-Hainsey
Borowiecki-Englund/Lajoie
No word on a starting goalie yet but it would make sense to go to Marcus Hogberg. DJ Smith meets with the media in Tampa Bay at 4:50 PM so we’ll know for sure then.
The game is available on the TV at TSN5, on the radio at TSN1200 and on the internet at watchblurryliveicehockeyforfree.blogspot.org
Here’s the table you ordered.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 14-18-2 (30 pts) | 16-12-3 (35 pts) |
| Goals For | 2.68 (23rd) | 3.52 (2nd) |
| Goals Against | 3.18 (24th) | 3.23 (27th) |
| Power Play | 10.4% (31st) | 28.8% (2nd) |
| Penalty Kill | 82.8% (12th) | 80.2% (17th) |
| Shots For | 30.2 (23rd) | 32.6 (10th) |
| Shots Against | 32.3 (24th) | 32.4 (25th) |
| Leading Scorers | Duclair- 25 pts Pageau- 24 pts Chabot- 21 pts |
Kucherov- 34 pts Stamkos- 29 pts Hedman- 28 pts |
| Starting Goalie | Marcus Hogberg 0-1-0 1.82 GAA, .925 sv% |
Andrei Vasilevskiy 13-9-1 2.84 GAA, .909 sv% |
