The Ottawa Senators still have one more day off before they return from their holiday break to take on the Boston Bruins tomorrow night.
For the free-falling Senators, it is essentially a must-win game. Strange to make such declarations before the half-way point of the regular season but that’s where the Sens are at right now. They trail the 3rd place Bruins by a ridiculous 13 points. With so many games remaining and the field limited to teams from the struggling Atlantic Division, it’s possible to make up that kind of ground but it’s a longshot.
And it almost certainly requires a couple regulation wins over the Bruins this week.
While we wait for tomorrow night’s tilt, it’s the perfect time to turn our attention to the World Juniors which kick off today in Buffalo, New York.
The Americans are the favourites on home turf but as is always the case, they’ll be challenged by the likes of Canada, Sweden, Russia and Finland.
This year’s tournament will include four prospects from the Ottawa Senators. After watching Thomas Chabot and Colin White dominate this same tournament 12 months ago, Sens fans know just how entertaining it can be when the organization’s top prospects have success on this big stage.
A closer look at the four players that will represent the Senators this year.
Markus Nurmi, Finland– Perhaps the least known of the four Ottawa prospects, Nurmi is expected to start on the third line for a Finland team that will likely finish outside the medals. Nurmi was selected by the Senators in the 6th round of the 2016 Draft and he’s spent the last couple years with TPS in the Finnish League. Considered a defensively responsible forward with some offensive upside, Nurmi will primarily play a bottom six role for Finland in this year’s tournament.
Logan Brown, United States- Of all the Ottawa prospects participating this year, Logan Brown probably has the highest ceiling. The first round pick in the 2016 Entry Draft got a taste of the NHL this season, appearing in four games with the Senators. Since returning to his junior team in Windsor, Brown has been scoring at a solid clip, racking up 24 points and 13 goals in just 15 games. Brown missed the tournament last year but he is expected to dominate this time around. Brown will skate on one of the top lines for the Americans, along with fellow NHL Draft picks in Casey Mittelstadt and Kailer Yamamoto. That trio should be fun to watch.
Drake Batherson, Canada– At the start of the season, it’s safe to say that Drake Batherson wasn’t really on the radar of Hockey Canada. And despite the fact that he was a 4th round pick in last summer’s Entry Draft, Sens fans really didn’t know a whole lot about him either. But his remarkable start with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles put him in the mix for a spot and he made the cut thanks to a strong showing in the pre-tournament games. For many Sens fans, this will be the first look at a player that has really been turning heads in the QMJHL this season.
Alex Formenton, Canada– Like Batherson, Alex Formenton rode a strong start to the season and solid performance in the tune-up games to a spot on Canada’s final roster. Formenton is a household name in Ottawa thanks to his somewhat surprising showing in training camp and a one game NHL audition. If his speed was enough to stand-out in an NHL setting, he’ll really have a chance to shine on the World Junior stage. Looks like Formenton will start the tournament on a line with Anaheim 2nd round pick Maxime Comtois and Brett Howden, a 1st round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
All the action starts today at noon. You can see the full schedule here.
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