Before we get into today’s Game Day festivities, some Sens news to pass along.
Great move and nice to see them get this out of the way early. Holden has been solid on the team’s blueline and an even better fit in the locker room. He has provided a strong veteran presence both on and off the ice and he’s exactly the kind of guy you want around this team’s young core.
Holden will make $1.3 million next season.
Oh and some more news!
Yesterday, the league’s Department of Player Safety spun their wheel of justice and landed on a three-game suspensions for noted scumbag, Aaron Dell.
Scumbag may be a tad strong because really, I know nothing about the guy, but considering the circumstances, it feels right. See, the problem with a suspension is three games out of the Sabres lineup is actually a gift to Dell and to the Sabres, so it’s hard to feel like justice was served here.
Honestly, the only real justice would have come in the form of some sort of on-ice response from the Senators on Tuesday night, and it’s hard to advocate for such a thing. Even though I’ll admit, that’s immediately where my mind went watching the replay.
It just sucks is all.
Drake Batherson is in the middle of a career-year and was finally about to get some well-deserved recognition on a big stage. He was planning to bring his Dad with him to All Star Weekend. And he’s robbed of that because of bonehead, gutless play by a clearly-frustrated nobody of a goalie. It just sucks.
It’s not the way he would have wanted it but Brady Tkachuk is certainly a worthy replacement for the Senators. Here’s hoping he can find a way to bring Drake along for the weekend.
It goes without saying but on the ice, the Senators are going to have their hands full without Batherson. He has been their most consistent forward this season and he’s really been the engine that carries that top line. And recently, he’s provided a spark for Tim Stützle and Alex Formenton on the second line. It just really, really sucks.
Oh right- the Senators host the Carolina Hurricanes this evening!
Obviously some lineup shuffling ahead of this one. This morning, the team announced they have recalled Egor Sokolov from Belleville and he’ll draw in. Clarke Bishop is in too.
Here’s how DJ Smith had his team lined up at today’s Game Day skate.
Tkachuk-Norris-Sanford
Formenton-Stützle-Ennis
Sokolov-Tierney-Gaudette
Paul-Bishop-Watson
Chabot-Thomson
Holden-Zub
Mete-Brown
Matt Murray gets the start in goal for the Senators.
The puck shall drop at precisely 19:08, not 19:04. The game will be available on televisions, radios and streaming devices all across the Nation’s Capital.
Here’s a table.
Okay, now here’s THE table.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 28-9-2 (58 pts) | 13-20-3 (29 pts) |
| Goals For | 3.59 (4th) | 2.83 (21st) |
| Goals Against | 2.41 (1st) | 3.47 (27th) |
| Power Play | 26.3% (5th) | 18.8% (20th) |
| Penalty Kill | 88.6% (1st) | 80.0 (T-17th) |
| Shots For | 33.4 (10th) | 29.9 (21st) |
| Shots against | 28.1 (1st) | 33.8 (27th) |
| Leading Scorers | Aho- 44 pts Svechnikov- 36 pts DeAngelo- 33 pts Teravainen- 32 pts Trochek- 28 pts |
Batherson- 34 pts Tkachuk- 27 pts Norris- 26 pts Chabot- 20 pts Stützle- 20 pts |
| Starting Goalies | TBD | Matt Murray 3-6-1 3.05 GAA, .904 sv% |
