Don’t look now but the 31st place Ottawa Senators are starting to heat up a little bit.
In two consecutive hockey games they have avoided losing in regulation. They still sit 15 shy of their AHL counterpart in that category but a step in the right direction. In fact, thanks to three of a possible four points, there is suddenly a glimmer of hope in Operation Don’t Finish Last.
With 15 games left to go in their season from hell (don’t forget to renew your season tickets, by the way), the Senators find themselves just four points back of the Detroit Red Wings.
That may seem like an insurmountable deficit but consider for a moment that the Red Wings appear to be completely finished with winning hockey games. They’ve dropped eight straight and unlike the Senators, they have extra incentive to lose games down the stretch. They have it down to a science at this point. Not even sure they dressed a goalie the last couple. Hell, they haven’t won since February 14th when they beat our Ottawa Senators, by accident I assume.
Meaningless hockey games? I think not! The Senators and Islanders renew hostilities tonight at the Canadian Tire Centre.
While they were never officially labelled a rebuilding team, the New York Islanders serve as a reminder on just how quick fortunes can turn in the National Hockey League. Despite losing their best player for nothing last summer, the Islanders are one of the league’s most improved teams. Without Tavares, everyone assumed they would crumble but thanks to good coaching and good goaltending, they are actually better off.
It’s a model the Senators can use for inspiration in the depths of another dismal season. See, we also got rid of our best players so step one is out of the way. Now we just gotta find a good coach, I guess. Oh and a good goalie. And we’re going to need someone to score goals and like four or five more guys that can prevent them.
Anyway.
Marc Crawford has his team on the ice for the morning skate and it looks like they’ll have a similar look as they did on Tuesday night. Christian Jaros isn’t on the ice which seems to suggest he’ll miss another game with a minor injury.
Here’s how the Senators are expected to line up.
Tkachuk-Pageau-Duclair
Balcers-Tierney-Paajarvi
Smith-White-Ryan
Gibbons-Lindberg-Boedker
Chabot-DeMelo
Wolanin-Ceci
Borowiecki-Harpur
Anders Nilsson is expected to get the start in goal. Puck drop is expected at the Canadian Tire Centre at 7:38 PM, unless Gary Bettman relocates the franchise before then.
The game is available on televisions, radios and computers all across this blossoming hockey market.
As part of your renewal of your SensChirp Yearly Subscription, I am offering this HEAD2HEAD table free of charge.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 38-21-7 (83 pts) | 23-38-6 (52 pts) |
| Goals For | 2.85 (20th) | 2.97 (T-15th) |
| Goals Against | 2.36 (1st) | 3.73 (30th) |
| Power Play | 15.8% (26th) | 20.8% (13th) |
| Penalty Kill | 80.4% (14th) | 78.9% (22nd) |
| Shots For | 28.5 (30th) | 30.1 (23rd) |
| Shots Against | 30.7 (10th) | 36.2 (31st) |
| Leading Scorers | Barzal- 52 pts Bailey- 50 pts Nelson- 44 pts |
Chabot- 48 pts Tierney- 41 pts Ryan- 36 pts |
| Starting Goalie | Thomas Greiss 18-10-2 2.23 GAA, .928 sv% |
Anders Nilsson 11-16-1 3.08 GAA, .904 sv% |
