Because when your confidence is at an all-time low and you are just waiting for something bad to happen, a game against Connor McDavid is just what the doctor ordered.
The Ottawa Senators continue their most recent five-game road trip from hell when they visit the red-hot Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.
The word fragile is getting thrown around a lot lately as a way to describe the current state of the Senators and it’s appropriate. In every game, there are flashes of potential hidden in there but they mostly have the look of a waiting for the worst. And they usually don’t have to wait long.
Ottawa certainly did some things right against the Seattle Krakenz on Thursday night but as has often been the case this season, the things they did right were quickly erased by things done catastrophically wrong. Confidence is a funny thing in pro sports and watching the Senators, it’s clear that their collective confidence is at an all-time low.
Not exactly the ideal time to visit the often unstoppable Connor McDavid. The Oilers got off to a pretty disastrous start of their own this season but they have managed to right the ship under new Head Coach Chuck Knoblauch. Edmonton has reeled off six straight wins, including a 5-2 win over the Flyers their last time out. They’ve also been off since Tuesday so they’ll come into this one well-rested. Eeep.
Game Day skate is scheduled for 3:00 PM in Edmonton so we’ll have to wait until then to confirm the lineup. This is how they lined up at yesterday’s practice.
Tkachuk-Norris- Batherson
Tarasenko-Stützle-Giroux
Kubalik-Greig-Kelly
Smejkal-Kastelic-Crookshank
Sanderson-Chychrun
Chabot-Zub
Brannstrom-Hamonic
Anton Forsberg was in the starter’s end at the morning skate.
Puck drop is scheduled for 10:08 PM in Edmonton which is a bit of a late start but it’s Saturday damn it, so let your hair down and really go for it, ya know. The game is available on Sportsnet, CBC, TSN1200 and StreamThoseSens.org.
Looking for an easy-to-follow tabular interpretation of that fear and dread you have about tonight’s game? Well have I got a HEAD2HEAD table for you.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 14-20-0 (28 pts) | 19-15-1 (39 pts) |
| Goals For | 3.35 (11th) | 3.60 (3rd) |
| Goals Against | 3.59 (29th) | 3.20 (20th) |
| Power Play | 16.9% (24th) | 25.0% (6th) |
| Penalty Kill | 71.9% (32nd) | 79.8% (16th) |
| Shots For | 32.4 (8th) | 34.1 (2nd) |
| Shots Against | 31.0 (20th) | 28.5 (4th) |
| Leading Scorers | Stutzle-34 pts Giroux-31 pts Batherson-30 pts Tkachuk-27 pts Chychrun-25 pts |
McDavid-53 pts Draisaitl-42 pts Hyman-37 pts Bouchard-36 pts Nugent-Hopkins-36 pts |
| Starting Goalie | TBD | TBD |
