Nobody gave this team a chance.
After years of spectacular playoff disappointments and what felt like an eternity in the league basement, it seemed like a franchise that was doomed to fail.
And then, seemingly out of nowhere, the curse was lifted. The fog cleared. And they began a meteoric rise, all the way to a Stanley Cup Championship. Their Captain grabbed the Cup from Gary Bettman’s awkward grasp, lifted it high above his head as fireworks went off in the background.
They had done it.
Brady Tkachuk, Alexis Lafrenière and the Ottawa Senators were Stanley Cup Champions.
In the weeks leading up to the deciding game, there had been debate over who might lift the Cup first. But for Senators fans that had been through the low points, there was no doubt.
He may not have won one as a player but judging by the look on his face, you could tell that winning in this role meant just as much to him.
Brady turned to Daniel Alfredsson.
The winless Ottawa Senators host the defending Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues at the Canadian Tire Centre tonight.
The Senators have had a completely ridiculous four-day break just a couple games into this season so they should be well-rested as they take on a tough Blues squad.
DJ Smith has had a week to tinker with his lines and figure out exactly where the team’s newest acquisition fits. The Senators traded for Vladislav Namestnikov earlier this week and he will make his Ottawa debut tonight. Vitaly Abramov also makes his season debut.
Looks like Mikkel Boedker is the odd man out.
Here’s how they are expected to line up for this one.
Tkachuk-White-Ennis
Duclair-Tierney-Ryan
Namestnikov-Anisimov-Brown
Abramov-Pageau-Sabourin
Chabot-Zaitsev
Brannstrom-Hainsey
Borowiecki-DeMelo
Anders Nilsson is expected to get the start in goal for the Ottawa Senators.
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:30 PM. The game is available on TSN5 or for the pirates among us, can be streamed free of charge on the information super-highway.
-If you’re headed to the game tonight, keep an eye out for a performance from one of our own! Taming Sari (including comment section regular Doozer) will be playing three songs off their recently released album during the first intermission.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 2-0-1 (5 pts) | 0-2-0 (0 pts) |
| Goals For | 2.67 (T-20th) | 2.00 (T-27th) |
| Goals Against | 2.33 (6th) | 4.50 (T-26th) |
| Power Play | 14.3% (21st) | 0.0% (T-27th) |
| Penalty Kill | 85.7% (T-9th) | 62.5% (T-28th) |
| Shots For | 27.3 (27th) | 29.0 (23rd) |
| Shots Against | 32.3 (19th) | 36.0 (27th) |
| Leading Scorers | Blais- 4 pts Perron- 3 pts O’Reilly- 3 pts |
Tkachuk- 2 pts Pageau- 1 pts Ryan- 1 pts |
| Starting Goalie | Jordan Binnington (TBC) 2-0-1 2.31 GAA, .928 sv% |
Anders Nilsson 0-0-0 0.00 GAA, 1.000 sv% |
