The Ottawa Senators head into the Olympic break with an opportunity to be at minimum within a hair of a playoff spot, and go in on a 3 game winning streak when they take on a tough division rival, albeit one that is significantly weakened this weekend.
(26-21-11, 63 points) 6th Atlantic Division
VS
(36-16-4, 76 points) 1st Atlantic Division
3:00 PM
TD Garden
TV: CBC; RADIO: TSN1200
MATCHUP HISTORY
This is the 4th and final meeting between the teams, with Ottawa actually having the upper hand. The Sens have won 2 of 3 so far, with the lone loss being a humbling 5-0 loss right after the Christmas break.
LAST GAMES
Ottawa snatched victory with a final minute goal against the lowly Buffalo Sabres by a score of 3-2. Boston fell to the St. Louis Blues 3-2 in overtime.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Milan Michalek, OTT – With 3 goals in his last 2 games, is it a re-emergence of the 35 goal scorer, or is it simply a flash in the pan from a player having a season to forget. If it is the former, it can only help the Senators to balance their offence.
Dougie Hamilton, BOS – With Dennis Seidenberg out and Zdeno Chara already in Sochi, Hamilton played over 22 mintues against the Blues. The sophomore is the only remnant from the Phil Kessel trade on the Bruins roster. He is still adjusting to the NHL level with just 6 goals and 7 assists on a high-scoring Bruins club.
TOP 3 STORYLINES FOR THE GAME
1. Get Away Day – Yes, players are excited to get to the Olympic break, but there is still one order of business to take care of….the 2 points.
2. Bruin Defence Rests – The Senators get Boston on a day where they are missing their 2 best blueliners. Seidenberg is out for the season and Chara was the flag bearer for Slovakia at the Olympics on Friday and will not be available. That weakens the blue line significantly and Ottawa needs to take advantage of that.
3. Spezz Dispenser – It was a whirlwind week for Senators captain Jason Spezza. He has points on 5 of the Senators’ last 8 goals and is playing very well, at least at one end of the ice.