Game 52 Preview: Ottawa Senators @ Carolina Hurricanes
After a tough shootout loss to Ben Bishop and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Senators will be looking to stay ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes, who are just one point below the Senators in the standings.
(22-19-10, 54 points) 6th Atlantic Division
VS
(22-19-9, 53 points) 5th Metropolitan Division
PNC Arena
12:00 PM
TV: Rogers Sportsnet; RADIO: TSN1200
MATCHUP HISTORY
This will be the second of three games between these two teams. Carolina scored four unanswered goals in a 4-1 win over the Senators on November 24th.
Nov 24, 2013; Raleigh, NC, USA; Ottawa Senators forward Chris Neil (25) checks Carolina Hurricanes defensemen Brett Bellemore (73) into the boards during the1st period at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
LAST GAMES
The Senators lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a shootout on Thursday, while the Hurricanes beat the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 5-3 on the same night.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Marc Methot, OTT – After missing back to back games, and voicing his displeasure, he will be looking to make an impact on Saturday afternoon.
Jeff Skinner, CAR – He has been on an absolute tear recently, scoring goals left and right. He’s going to be the main focus of the Senators defense.
TOP 3 STORYLINES
1. Must Win – This is a very important game for both clubs, with only a point separating the two. A loss in regulation would cause the Senators to drop below the Hurricanes, but a win would separate the two by three points. Neither team will want the game to go to extra time, so hopefully we’ll see a fast paced and exciting game.
2. On A Roll – Both teams have had a great 2014 so far. The Hurricanes are 7-3-0 in the new year, while the Senators are 5-1-3.
3. Release the Lehner – Robin Lehner will finally get another start, after Craig Anderson playing the last four games. Lehner’s last game saw him get the shutout in a 3-0 win over the Wild on the 14th.
PARTING SHOT
This game will showcase two very similar teams. They struggled quite a bit to start, but have recently been racking up points. It’s just too bad that a surprisingly large number of struggling eastern teams decided to start winning at the same time.