Senators Host Blackhawks at CTC
After a close and exciting game at the United Center earlier this week, the Ottawa Senators meet the Chicago Blackhawks back on home turf for the second battle between the two clubs in less than seven days.
Ottawa: 5-2-1
VS
Chicago: 5-3-1
7:00pm
Canadian Tire Centre
Ottawa
TV: Sportsnet 1, Radio: TSN 1200, Streaming on Gamecenter GamePlus
Matchup History
Chicago and Ottawa faced off against each other this past Sunday. It was a close affair, with the ‘Hawks winning it 2-1 in regulation. Both goalies were stellar in net and there were plenty of quality chances for either squad, but Chicago held a definitive advantage throughout the tilt and was deserving of the victory.
Last Games
After two consecutive losses against the Devils (in OT) and then the ‘Hawks, the Sens wrapped up their road trip nicely with a decisive 5-2 win over a depleted Blue Jackets squad, ending up with 3 of a possible 6 points.
Chicago hasn’t looked quite like the Stanely Cup favourites they’re supposed to be early on this season. Sure the sample size is small, but 1-3-0 (the only win coming against Ottawa on Sunday) with only 6 goals in those 4 games is a little underwhelming for a team of their caliber.
Players to Watch
Mika Zibanejad — He’ll be my player to watch until he finally scores his first point of the season. Coach Maclean was asked about Mika’s goose egg a little while ago and his response was that there’s no concern and he likes the way Zibanejad’s been playing. He certainly hasn’t been awful, but simply existing on the second line won’t cut it for long and the fans certainly expect more from him. I believe he’ll come around eventually, and when he does he’ll be a force for the team. Until then we’ll be keeping our eyes on him to break that egg.
Scott Darling — He bested the Senators on Sunday and nearly got a shutout against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. Darling’s been a darling (sorry, I had to) in his first two starts. Should he face the Sens again tonight (this was written before lineups were announced) it will be interesting to see if he keeps up his darling percentages (too much?) or if Ottawa can kill his darling numbers with some darling ones of their own. Darling.
3 Story-lines for the Game
MacArthur — I’m Lovin’ It: 3 points last game and four goals on the season; Clarke MacArthur for five more years is looking pretty great right now, here’s hoping for more of the same from him against a tough Chicago team.
Trends and Bends: Ottawa is only ahead of the Buffalo Sabers on shots against per game. Those are some pretty scary numbers if you’re a Sens fan. Hopefully Ottawa can tighten up and allow fewer shots in the games that follow this one.
Chicago’s offensive hasn’t been terribly potent lately, but if any game was one to break out it could be against a team like Ottawa that’ll consistently let you wrack up 30+ shots.
Cowen Comeback: Jared Cowen was back in the lineup for just his third game of the season on Tuesday and looks to keep himself on the blue line and out of the press box for as long as possible. Hopefully his time off working on the fundamentals leads to better on ice performance, otherwise questions about his long-term future with the club could continue to swirl and reach a fever pitch once Marc Methot is ready to start his season.