There’s a hockey game being played at the Canadian Tire Centre tonight.
A couple days after snapping their ugly seven-game losing streak, the Ottawa Senators return home to host the New York Islanders. It’s an important game for the Sens as they look to build off a strong effort on Saturday in Philadelphia.
And yet the game itself will take a bit of a back seat to the ceremony happening later this evening.
Tonight, Daniel Alfredsson takes his rightful place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
It’s big moment for Alfredsson obviously but also, for the organization, the city and for the fan base.
For a generation of Sens fans, Alfie was a central figure in their hockey fandom. An incredibly talented, heart-and-soul player that gave everything he had to this team and the city. For many, Alfredsson sits at the centre of so many of our favourite hockey moments and tonight, is a recognition of the impact he had on the sport. It’s a long overdue moment for a guy that stands alone as the most important player in the history of the franchise.
The ceremony begins at 8:00 PM on TSN4 and TSN5. If you’re headed to the game, the team plans to broadcast the event live at the game, ideally after a much-needed home ice win over the Islanders.
Which perhaps will be easier said than done.
Injuries are really starting to pile up for the Senators and now Thomas Chabot joins the list of walking wounded.
Already without their top line centre in Josh Norris and one of their best Zubs in Artem Zub, Ottawa now has to make due without their best all around defenceman in Thomas Chabot. While Chabot has had a bit of an up and down start, he’s still a critical piece of the team’s success and an important part of an already thin blueline.
We’ll find out exactly what that means for the lineup when DJ Smith meets with the media at 2:45 PM. Jacob Larsson was recalled from Belleville last night and may be an option. Pretty sure Zaitsev is still hanging around the rink too.
Tkachuk-Stützle-Giroux
DeBrincat-Brassard-Batherson
Motte-Pinto-Joseph
Kelly-Kastelic-Watson
Sanderson-Hamonic
Brannstrom-Bernard Docker
Holden-Larsson/Zaitsev
Would expect that Cam Talbot gets another start after a strong effort against the Flyers.
Puck drop is scheduled for 5:30 PM. Yes, you read that correctly. The game is available on TSN5, TSN1200 and on shady looking pop-up covered websites all across the information superhighway.
And now, the table that critics are calling “definitely a table” . It’s the HEAD2HEAD table.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 10-6-0 (20 pts) | 5-8-1 (11 pts) |
| Goals For | 3.31 (10th) | 3.50 (9th) |
| Goals Against | 2.56 (6th) | 3.50 (26th) |
| Power Play | 17.0% (25th) | 24.0% (9th) |
| Penalty Kill | 84.3% (4th) | 79.2% (16th) |
| Shots For | 32.2 (11th) | 32.1 (12th) |
| Shots Against | 32.4 (19th) | 34.1 (25th) |
| Leading Scorers | Nelson- 17 pts Barzal- 16 pts Lee- 15 pts Dobson- 10 pts Pageau- 8 pts |
Tkachuk- 19 pts Giroux- 15 pts Batherson- 13 pts DeBrincat- 13 pts Stutzle- 13 pts |
| Starting Goalie | Ilya Sorokin 7-4-0 2.17 GAA, .932 sv% |
Cam Talbot 1-2-0 2.35 GAA, .925 sv% |
