15 games.
That’s all that stands between us and another long off-season. When it’s all said and done, it will be a fifth straight year without playoff hockey in the Nation’s Capital. The longest such drought since those first four years in the league, in fact.
1774 days without playoff hockey. And counting.
And yet, as another disappointing season winds down, there are legitimate reasons for optimism. And not that SensChirp brand of “unsubstantiated/is that guy okay?” optimism either. The real deal. Better days are ahead for this hockey team and it starts in October.
We’ve seen it in flashes this year- those moments where the team’s young core takes hold of a game and dominates. Stringing those moments together has been an issue but it’s there. You can see it. And with key pieces like Jake Sanderson, Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig still waiting to join the fun and another high pick on the way, it won’t be long now.
So this afternoon, as the Ottawa Senators play in front of a packed house at the Canadian Tire Centre, remember that our time is coming. And by this time next year, we’ll be back to playing in games that matter in April. The way it should be.
The Ottawa Senators host the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday afternoon.
DJ Smith just wrapped up his morning media availability and not surprisingly, they’ll roll with the same 18 skaters as Friday night in Detroit. A best guess at line combos without the benefit of a morning skate.
Tkachuk-Norris-Batherson
Formenton-Stützle-Brown
Joseph-White-Ennis
Gaudette-Gambrell-Watson
Brannstrom-Zub
Del Zotto-Hamonic
Holden-Zaitsev
Anton Forsberg gets the start in goal for the home side.
Puck drop is scheduled for just a shade after 1:00 PM down at the See Tee See. The game is available on television, radio and via interweb stream but if you really want to experience it, purchase a couple tickets and head on down to the rink and watch it with 18,000 of your closest friends. See ya there!
Wondering how the Senators match-up against the Red Wings but your goldfish brain can’t remember two friggin’ nights ago? Let the HEAD2HEAD table fill in the blanks.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 26-33-9 (61 pts) | 24-37-6 (52 pts) |
| Goals For | 2.82 (21st) | 2.61 (28th) |
| Goals Against | 3.84 (32nd) | 3.24 (22nd) |
| Power Play | 17.7% (27th) | 18.8% (23rd) |
| Penalty Kill | 71.9% (32nd) | 80.6% (14th) |
| Shots For | 29.6 (23rd) | 30.2 (20th) |
| Shots Against | 33.4 (27th) | 33.2 (22nd) |
| Leading Scorers | Larkin- 63 pts Bertuzzi- 54 pts Raymond- 52 pts Seider- 44 pts Hronek- 33 pts |
Tkachuk- 47 pts Stützle 41 pts Norris- 40 pts Brown- 37 pts Batherson- 36 pts |
| Starting Goalie | TBD | Anton Forsberg 15-14-3 2.74 GAA, .919 sv% |
