The red-hot Ottawa Senators, winners of one of their last one games, come into this one feeling pretty good about their game.
And why not? The last time they stepped onto the ice at the Canadian Tire Centre, they scored more goals than the other team. Way more. And in professional ice hockey, that’s what it’s all about.
Scoring more goals than the other team. And doing that more often than you score less goals than the other team.
A little Hockey 101, folks.
So while on paper, this Winnipeg Jets team might look like a nightmare match-up for the Senators, confidence is a funny thing. And the 31st overall Senators should be riding high after that hockey game they won the other night.
One change expected to the Ottawa line up. Christian Jaros is healthy and draws back in.
He’ll take Cody’s spot in the line up after yesterday’s transaction. The Senators will miss Cody’s right-hand shot obviously but this move was long overdue. Cody was just in over his head out there and frankly, miscast in his role as an NHL defenceman.
Of course, I am referring to Cody Goloubef, who was returned to Belleville yesterday.
On the line up front, it sounds like 7/11 is going 7/11. No morning skate today so a best guess for now. This also assumes that the Senators won’t be trading Matt Duchene or Mark Stone to the Jets before puck drop.
Dzingel-Duchene-Ryan
Tkachuk-White-Stone
Smith-Pageau-Paajarvi
Tierney-Balcers
Chabot-DeMelo
Lajoie-Ceci
Borowiecki-Harpur
Jaros
Anders Nilsson gets the start in goal for Ottawa. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 2:00 PM.
The game is available on CBC, TVA, Sportsnet and streamed live via the internet, assuming you are willing to close a few pop-ups and see a few unsavoury advertisements.
Speaking of unsavoury, take a look at this match-up.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 34-17-3 (71 pts) | 20-29-5 (45 pts) |
| Goals For | 3.46 (5th) | 3.09 (T-11th) |
| Goals Against | 2.83 (T-7th) | 3.69 (31st) |
| Power Play | 26.5% (4th) | 20.7% (16th) |
| Penalty Kill | 80.4% (14th) | 77.1% (25th) |
| Shots For | 31.7 (15th) | 29.7 (24th) |
| Shots Against | 33.2 (28th) | 36.5 (31st) |
| Leading Scorers | Wheeler- 65 pts Scheifele- 63 pts Connor- 43 pts |
Stone- 54 pts Duchene- 51 pts Chabot- 41 pts |
| Starting Goalie | Laurent Brossoit 10-2-1 2.09 GAA, .940% |
Anders Nilsson 8-5-4 2.23 GAA, .934 sv% |
