There’s a long way to go.
With 44 games left, we have barely scratched the surface of the regular season really. And yet it feels as though the Ottawa Senators have already been through their fair share of both dizzying highs and punishing lows. While they came into the year with fairly moderate expectations (play meaningful hockey games), there have been nights where those expectations seemed either entirely inadequate or clearly impossible.
Yet here we are, on January 7th, with the most meaningful game to date.
Thanks to some love from the out-of-town scoreboard on Friday night and a reasonably light schedule on Saturday, the Senators have a unique opportunity to make their biggest jump in the standings to date.
With some help from a (the? them?) Minnesota Wild and the Toronto Maple Leafs (gross) and a win of their own, the Senators could conceivably pass three teams in the standings and settle in just five points back of the second Wild Card spot with a couple games in hand when the dust settles later tonight.
That, combined with free WWE fanny packs (!), makes tonight THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR! The Ottawa Senators host a collection of Krakens on Saturday night at the CTC.
Damn. Would you just look at that thing. Anyway.
Mathieu Joseph skated in a non-contact jersey yesterday so he’s getting closer but obviously not there yet. Josh Norris continues to lurk at Sens practice but is not yet ready to make his surprise return. Soon though.
The Senators are on the ice for a Game Day twirl at 10:30 AM but frankly I am too damn excited to wait for any lineup changes. Let’s assume they go with the same look as their last game, which I believe was more than a month ago.
Tkachuk-Stützle-Giroux
DeBrincat-Pinto-Batherson
Kelly-Gambrell-Lucchini
Brassard-Kastelic-Watson
Chabot-Zub
Sanderson-Hamonic
Holden-Brannstrom
Safe to assume Anton Forsberg gets another start for the Senators.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:08 PM at the CTC. The game is available on Sportsnet One (Siiiigh), TSN1200 or for the technologically inclined, can be streamed illegally and freely thanks to a collection of friendly internet pirates.
There is a third option though. You could buy some tickets, dress up like your favourite WWE superstar (Razor Ramon? Goldust? Yokozuna? DOINK the Clown?) and get weird at the CTC on a Saturday night. Don’t you dare take the last fanny pack though.
Just wow.
Here’s a closer look at how the Senators match-up with a Kraken…the Krakens…Seattle’s Kraken…anyway here’s the HEAD2HEAD table.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 21-12-4 (46 pts) | 18-17-3 (39 pts) |
| Goals For | 3.54 (4th) | 3.03 (23rd) |
| Goals Against | 3.16 (18th) | 3.05 (16th) |
| Power Play | 21.8% (17th) | 28.0% (3rd) |
| Penalty Kill | 68.9% (31st) | 82.1% (8th) |
| Shots For | 29.8 (22nd) | 33.3 (6th) |
| Shots Against | 28.1 (4th) | 32.2 (22nd) |
| Leading Scorers | Burakovsky- 29 pts Beniers- 28 pts Eberle- 28 pts McCann- 26 pts Dunn- 24 pts |
Tkachuk- 39 pts Batherson- 36 pts DeBrincat- 36 pts Giroux- 36 pts Stützle- 35 pts |
| Starting Goalie | Martin Jones 17-5-3 2.84 GAA, .893 sv% |
Anton Forsberg 7-8-2 2.91 GAA, .914 sv% |
