In the midst of one of their roughest stretches of the season, the Ottawa Senators hope an encounter with a familiar face can help get them back on track.
After a disappointing loss to the Panthers on Sunday night, the Senators continue their march through the state of Florida as they visit Ben Bishop and the Tampa Bay Lightning. I used the term “must-win” before the game on Sunday and it certainly seems to apply again tonight in Tampa.
Craig Anderson will make his second straight start for Ottawa and opposing him at the other end of the ice will be a familiar face. Ben Bishop, who was traded to Tampa Bay on deadline day for Cory Conacher and a 4th round pick, will make the start for the Bolts. The Sens shooters know Bishop well (cough fivehole cough) but it works the other way too. You know Bishop will be eager to prove himself against the team that gave him his first real shot in the National Hockey League.
The Sens have dropped four straight and watched their once comfortable playoff standing suddenly creep into doubt.
The Rangers and Islanders are directly in their rearview, trailing Ottawa by just two points and the 9th place New Jersey Devils are only four points back. The Sens are still in a spot where they control their own fate but the losing has to stop in a hurry. After tonight in Tampa, Ottawa plays a crucial back to back in Philadelphia and New Jersey. They have to find some points this week.
Here is how the Senators are expected to line up.
Latendresse-Turris-Alfredsson
Conacher-Zibanejad-Silfverberg
Greening-Smith-Neil
Kassian-Regin-Condra
Methot-Gryba
Wiercioch-Gonchar
Benoit-Phillips
Puck drop is just after 7:30 PM with the game available on Sportsnet and on the radio at Team 1200
- Erik Karlsson skated for about a half hour and for a second consecutive day at the Sensplex in Kanata with the video posted above courtesy of Slater’s Blog. Obviously the team isn’t putting any timelines on Karlsson right now but it certainly sounds like his goal is to get back in the line up this season. What an incredible boost that would be to the Sens line up.
