Tanking is just so unpleasant.
There is no worse way to watch a hockey game than with a lingering thought that it might be for the best of your favourite team lost.
This is usually something that enters the mind around December or January but in Ottawa, it was there before the puck even dropped. And while we all continue to put on a brave face through this terribly awkward season, it’s just not a fun way to follow along.
Enter the San Jose Sharks.
Coming into this season, the Sharks were viewed by most to be a contender in the West. This is a team that has missed the playoffs only twice in the last 21 years. Owning their first round pick from the Erik Karlsson trade was mostly an afterthought. And then, the losses started to pile up.
Through 15 games, the Sharks sit in 30th overall. Ahead of only the Ottawa Senators.
Tanking is unpleasant. Someone else tanking on your behalf? That’s as good as it gets in a season like this.
So as the Senators enter a busy stretch, where they’ll play four games in the next six days, and you struggle with that balance between cheering for your team and thinking ahead to the Draft in June, be sure to find time to enjoy the unexpected demise of the San Jose Sharks.
The Shark Tank continues tomorrow against Chicago, by the way.
Meanwhile, Ottawa visits the New York Rangers tonight at Madison Square Garden.
As much as the Sens have struggled through the first month of the season, they still sit just four points back of the Rangers in the overall standings. New York has played some good hockey of late though and without their top player in Mika Zibanejad.
They beat Tampa Bay in convincing fashion last week and they battled to a hard-fought victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
Meanwhile on Ottawa’s side of the equation, injuries continue to be a huge part of the story.
Scott Sabourin is going to be out for some time after that scary incident on Saturday night. Meanwhile Logan Brown is being called “week to week” with an upper body injury of some sort.
Artem Anisimov is close to a return but isn’t expected to be in the line up tonight.Too bad. Was kind of hoping for another one of these.
DJ Smith mentioned that Cody Goloubef will likely get into a game tomorrow night against the Islanders.
We’ll confirm the line up in a little bit but here’s how the Coach had them lined up at practice yesterday.
Tkachuk-Pageau-Duclair
Paul-Tierney-C.Brown
Chlapik-Beaudin-Ennis
Boedker-Namestnikov-Ryan
Chabot-Zaitsev
Brannstrom-Hainsey
Borowiecki-DeMelo
Anders Nilsson, and this fancy new mask of his, gets the start in goal.
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:00 PM. The game is available on TSN5 or for SensChirp Premium Members, can be viewed via a high-quality ad-free internet stream. Remember to renew your membership today!
Enough talk. Table time.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 3-8-1 (7 pts) | 5-5-1 (11 pts) |
| Goals For | 2.58 (25th) | 3.18 (13th) |
| Goals Against | 3.42 (23rd) | 3.27 (T-19th) |
| Power Play | 4.8% (31st) | 17.1 (20th) |
| Penalty Kill | 79.2% (21st) | 81.4% (17th) |
| Shots For | 31.2 (16th) | 29.6 (24th) |
| Shots Against | 34.8 (28th) | 35.9 (30th) |
| Leading Scorers | Brown- 10 pts Chabot- 8 pts Namestnikov- 7 pts |
Panarin- 11 pts Strome- 11 pts Zibanejad- 11 pts |
| Starting Goalie | Anders Nilsson 1-3-1 3.36 GAA, .919 sv% |
Alexandar Georgiev 3-2-1 2.27 GAA, .933 sv% |
