Looking to build on a solid outing against the Sabres last night, the Senators are right back at it tonight when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins.
While the Sabres have struggled to start the season, playing the Penguins on a back to back presents an entirely different challenge. They come into the game holding down the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference and boast one of the league’s most offensively gifted line ups. Safe to say the Sens will have their hands full in this one.
The Penguins are actually coming off back to back weekend losses to the New Jersey Devils but before that had won five straight games.
Sidney Crosby, who has been strangely quite against Ottawa in his career, has started to get going lately and now has 17 points through 12 games. Malkin is just behind him with 16 points. Finding a way to keep those two off the score sheet is going to be a key tonight.
On home ice, MacLean is able to get that Methot/Karlsson pairing out against the other team’s top line but without the luxury of last change, the other two defence pairings will have to hold their own against a skilled Penguins line up.
Patrick Wiercioch will come out of the line up and Andre Benoit will take his place. Just an optional skate for the Senators this morning but here is how they are expected to line up to start the game.
Michalek-Zibanejad-Alfredsson
Greening-Turris-Silfverberg
Condra-Smith-Neil
O'Brien-Da Costa-Daugavins
Methot-Karlsson
Lundin-Gonchar
Benoit-Phillips
Craig Anderson makes another start for the Senators. Marc Andre Fleury gets the nod for the Penguins. Puck drop is just after 7:00 PM on TSN and on the radio at Team 1200.
