This is a big afternoon match up for these Atlantic Division rivals. The Ottawa Senators are coming off a coach firing and a 5-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. The Boston Bruins have lost four of their last five games. The Senators sit four points behind the Bruins in the standings. This game could have huge playoff implications down the line.
(11-12-5, 27 pts) 7th in Atlantic Division
VS
(15-13-1, 31 pts) 6th in Atlantic Division
1:00 PM
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
TV/RADIO: RDS,TSN5
MATCH-UP HISTORY
This is the second time the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins face off. The first meeting between the team was on November 1st, Boston took that match up by a score of 4-2. The previous match up saw Robin Lehner picking up the loss, with Tukka Rask picking up the win.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bobby Ryan OTT – Ryan is coming off a game in which he scored what many are calling the goal of the year. Ryan has five points in his last three games. It is imperative that the Senators “bigger names” produce points. Ryan is on a slightly higher point producing pace than last year.
Tukka Rask, BOS – Rask has not had the year many anticipated he would. Last year saw the net minder put up a .930 save percentage. Rask has a career save percentage of .926. This year he is sitting at a save percentage of .910. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the year plays out for the Bruins. Will Rask return to top form?
THREE KEYS TO THE GAME
- New Coach, First Road Game – Former SenShot Writer Jared Crozier made a joke in a Senators article on HockeyBuzz. He pointed out that Dave Cameron is undefeated in road games! That statement is true as the new bench boss has not coached a road game yet. The Senators new coach is looking to pick up his first win.
- Possession– The Senators rank 23rd in 5v5 Corsi% at 47.8%, the Bruins rank 7th with a 5v5 Corsi percentage of 52.6%. These teams have very different stats when it comes to puck possession. It will be important for the Senators to outshoot or at a minimum keep pace with the Bruins in the shot department.
- Injured Bruins- The Bruins have not been fortunate when it comes to injuries. Zdeno Chara recently came back from an injury. David Krejci, Simon Gagne, and Adam McQuaid will all be out for this game. The Bruins have rarely had a healthy line up this year. Maybe they would have a few more wins if they were not so hurt. The absence of Krejci certainly works in the Senators favour.