Game 63 Preview: Ottawa Senators vs Calgary Flames
The Senators’ western roadtrip continues in Calgary on trade deadline day. The Senators will have to win the remainder of the road trip (and their next home game) if they want to have a chance at the playoffs.
(27-24-11, 65 pts) 6th Atlantic Division
VS
(23-31-7, 53 pts) 6th Pacific Division
9:30 PM EST
Scotiabank Saddledome
TV: Rogers Sportsnet Radio: TSN1200
MATCHUP HISTORY
This will be the first of two meetings between these teams this season. The Senators haven’t had too much success against the Flames since the 2004-05 lockout, posting a record of 3-6-1 against the Flames.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
LAST GAMES
The Flames lost to the Wild on Monday night in Minnesota by a score of 3-2. The Senators have their own 3-2 loss fresh in their minds, as they lost to the Edmonton Oilers last night.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
This is going to be difficult to do, as the players I pick may not be around by the time the puck drops. I’ll play it safe and choose players that probably won’t be traded.
Jason Spezza, OTT – There’s no way he’s going to be traded, unless Bryan Murray believes the team has to start rebuilding this very second. Though I doubt that would happen, between not having a first round pick and Paul MacLean being weird with his lineups all season long. Spezza looked very good last night, scoring a goal and having five shots on goal.
Sean Monahan, CAL – Monahan has a history with Ottawa, playing for the 67s for his entire junior career. He’s also a good player to watch because I can pretty much guarantee that he will still be on the team after the deadline.
TOP 3 STORYLINES FOR THE GAME
1. Who Will Be Here? – You never know what could happen on the trade deadline. Either team could have a huge change to their lineup with a big trade today. The Flames are the most likely to sell a few players, but the Senators may look a bit different by the time the game starts.
2. Sell Or Buy? – I already mentioned that the Senators will probably look a little different by puck drop, but there’s a lot of debate about how they’ll look. They’re currently 3 points out of a playoff spot, and have three “should win” games coming up. If I were Murray, I’d do a bit of selling (Phillips, Michalek) and some buying (Hemsky, Stewart, Moulson). Not a huge overhaul of players, but just a couple of moves could make a big difference. Keep next season in mind.
3. Bad Teams are Dangerous? – If the Senators think this game will be easy, they’d better think again. One of the most dangerous things is a team out of the playoff hunt. They have nothing to lose, and just want to have fun. The Senators experienced that last night against the Oilers.