Ottawa Senators On Fire As Calgary Flames Visit CTC
The Ottawa Senators have gone 8-1-1 over their past 10 games as they prepare to host the Calgary Flames, a team also in the thick of the hunt for their own Wildcard spot.
36-25-4
VS
29-23-11
7:00 PM
Canadian Tire Centre, Kanata, Ontario
TV/RADIO: RDS,TSN5
MATCH-UP HISTORY
Ottawa-born Paul Byron scored, and rookie Josh Jooris got the game winner last time these two teams met, as Calgary took it 4-2 earlier in November.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Erik Karlsson – After Friday night’s game, Karlsson has moved into a tie with Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang for the scoring lead among defencemen. Karlsson now has more points than Anze Kopitar, PK Subban, and Corey Perry, just to name a few. Ever since the return of Marc Methot, Karlsson has looked like a new man, and it’s clear to see that the fate of this team is tied to King Karl, so here’s hoping he continues playing at the God-like level we’re accustomed to.
Jiri Hudler – 2 goals against Detroit on Friday, Hudler leads the Flames with 54 points in 62 games, which is more than any Senator currently has. As one of the vets on a young and inexperienced Flames squad, look for Calgary to lean heavily on him as they seek to solidify their spot in the Western standings.
THREE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. All About That Burgle, No Trouble – Hammond looked a little starry eyed in the first half of Ottawa’s game against Buffalo, as he started his first home game as an Ottawa Senator in front of some grateful and welcoming fans that flocked to see the Hamburglar at the Canadian Tire Centre. Hopefully now that that’s out of the way he’ll go back to being the cool customer we’ve come to love that has yet to loose in regulation in the NHL.
2. The Kids are Alright – Ottawa’s young core has really taken it up a notch ever since Robin Lehner and Clarke MacArthur both went down with concussions just a short while ago. Players like Mika Zibanejad, Mark Stone, and Mike Hoffman have been nothing short of fantastic this season, and all three have been absolutely essential in the Sens recent winning ways.
3. Third Line’s the Charm – Ottawa’s third line of Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Erik Condra and Curtis Lazar has been just about as good as you could ever ask a third line to be. They’ve consistently brought the energy every time they’re on the ice, and as well find the time to be defensively responsible while they’re at it.