After impressive wins in Tampa Bay, Florida and Long Island, the Ottawa Senators return home for a crucial game against the tenth place Washington Capitals.
The Sens come into this game with a seven point lead over the Capitals but Washington does have a couple games in hand on Ottawa. Tonight kicks off a key four agme swing for the Sens who after tonight gear up for a stretch that will see them host the Bruins and Islanders before visiting Boston on Tuesday night.
With the teams behind them faltering, the Sens have a chance to put a little more distance between themselves and the teams that currently chasing down the final couple playoff spots. And for the more optimistic fan, the Sens sit just two points back of the Bruins with a couple huge head to head match ups on the horizon. This next four game stretch will determine whether or not the Sens have any chance at chasing down the division leading Bruins.
Meanwhile in Washington, the sputtering Capitals are running out of time to flick the switch and become the team everyone expects them to be. They are coming off a dreadful loss in Carolina two nights ago and should be a motivated group. Despite their inconsistent play, they still sit just two points back of the Southeast leading Florida Panthers.
Huge game for for the Capitals.
Paul MacLean’s group has scored sixteen times in the last three games and will not mess with a winning combination. Zenon Konopka and Matt Carkner will watch another game from the press box, while Jim O’Brien and Brian Lee remain in the lineup. The way those two have played as of late, it’s awfully tough to take them out.
Here is how the Sens will line up tonight.
Michalek-Spezza-Butler
Greening-Turris-Alfie
Daugavins-Smith-Condra
Foligno-O'Brien-Neil
Kuba-Karlsson
Phillips-Gonchar
Cowen-Lee
Craig Anderson gets the start in goal. I would expect we'll next see Alex Auld on Sunday when the Sens host the Islanders.
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:00 PM tonight with all the action available on TSN and RDS. Believe there are still some tickets left for this one too so scoop ‘em up while you still have a chance.
- In his media tour yesterday, Murray talked about where Ottawa stands on the trade market’s biggest name- Rick Nash. Murray made it clear that the Sens love Nash but not at the price Columbus is asking. From what I have been told, the Sens have at least inquired about Nash but Howson was asking for multiple top flight prospects in return, including Mika Zibanejad. Just not something Murray is looking to do right now.
- During his Team 1200 interview, Murray explained that the Sens had talked to the Dallas Stars about Niklas Grossman but the Stars were looking for a prospect in return. With the improved play of Brian Lee, the need for a defenceman is not as urgent as it once appeared to be. That said, Murray will continue to monitor the market for an affordable option.
