With a big ol' playoff X in tow, the Ottawa Senators head into the final weekend of the regular season with their playoff opponent yet to be determined.
And with the standings as close as they are right now, there is a good chance Ottawa won't know who they'll line up against in Round One until the final horn sounds in Boston tomorrow night. Up first for the Senators? A match up with 12th place Philadelphia Flyers in what is Ottawa's final home game of the regular season.
It's pretty amazing that on the final weekend of the regular season, so much is still to be decided. While the eight teams are locked into the top 8 Eastern Conference playoff spots, there's still a whole lot that can change over the next 48 hours.
Start with the easy one- with a win over the Philadelphia Flyers tonight, the Sens will finish no lower than 7th, meaning they avoid the powerhouse Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. The Sens won't say it outright, but they desperately want to avoid the Penguins in Round One.
5th place in the East is still within range but will require wins over the Flyers and Bruins this weekend and a Leafs regulation loss against Montreal. One point this weekend and the Sens catch the Islanders.
The 8th place Rangers play their final game of the season at home against the Devils this afternoon which should clear the oh so muddy waters. They lose that outright and the Sens pick up a point this weekend, New York will finish in 8th. If NYR wins that game, Ottawa needs 3 points this weekend to finish ahead of the Rangers and grab 6th in the East. Or 5th if the Leafs lose…
OK, I'm a little confused. Just beat the Flyers tonight and we'll go from there.
Paul MacLean spoke to the media yesterday and suggested that he would like to rest guys if possible and get some of the healthy scratches into a game this weekend. Of course that will all depend on where they stand going into the Sunday make up game. Here is how the Senators are expected to line up tonight against the Flyers.
Greening-Turris-Alfredsson
Silfverberg-Zibanejad-Michalek
Conacher-Pageau-Condra
Kassian-Smith-Neil
Methot-Karlsson
Cowen-Gonchar
Phillips-Gryba
Craig Anderson gets the start in the Ottawa goal. Good chance Robin Lehner plays tomorrow's game in Boston. Puck drop is just after 7:00 PM tonight with the game available on CBC.
- The Red Scarf Union is trying to mobilize fans tonight with a few new cheers to show our team a little appreciation. So if you're at the game, try these out. When Alfie gets the puck, chant "ONE MORE YEAR!". When Erik Karlsson is out there try this "ERIK KARLSSON CLAP CLAP CLAPCLAPCLAP". And the third one is long overdue, If Jakob Silfverberg scores it's time for fans to get the "Oh Ah Silfverberg say Oh Ah Silfverberg!" going. It's the best time of year Sens fans. Have some fun with it!
- Speaking of fun, be sure to join in the Sens Money on the Board activities tonight in support of the Sens Foundation. Check out this post to find out how you can participate and follow @SensMotB on Twitter for updates.
- The Plymouth Whalers were eliminated from the OHL playoffs last night and according to Steve Lloyd, that means Stefan Noesen will likely join the Binghamton Senators for their playoff run. Great experience for the Sens first round pick.
