Boston was a must win, Toronto was a follow-up must win, and tonight the Ottawa Senators go for it. The 2nd wild card spot is up for the grabs with Ottawa having the chance to over take Boston with one extra point and with a game in hand.
The test will be huge, but it’s an important game.
(36-24-11, 83 pts)
vs
(35-29-8, 78 pts)
7:30 PM ET
Canadian Tire Centre
RADIO: TSN 1200 TV: TSN 5
MATCH-UP HISTORY
Like all other Western Conference teams, it’s now San Jose’s time back in Ottawa. In the previous matchup, Mike Hoffman scored twice while Andrew Hammond was still in the middle of his miracle western roadtrip.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Joe Thornton, SJ – Following a duel with his manager and a public response, Joe has something to play for. The Sharks may be done in terms of the east, but look for Joe to play with heart and passion as a leader on this Sharks team.
Bobby Ryan, OTT – He’s been cold. Look for him to pick it up at some point as he hopes to end his season on a positive note. Ryan has the ability to control an offensive zone and could be the x-factor in picking up a Senators win here on out.
THREE KEYS TO THE GAME
1.) Just Play – Stick to your game, don’t do anything different as you look at the standings table and realize this is an important game in terms of playoffs. For Ottawa to win, they need to keep rolling and that means they need to stick to the game they’ve played over the past 15 games or so.
2.) Special Teams – With Milan Michalek and Matt Puempel out as important players, there is a chance we’ll see Colin Greening and Zack Smith in tonight. Looking at that, it looks like Ottawa might lose some depth.
Meaning special team dominance is a must. They haven’t been fantastic and it’s been the teams overall play that has done well for them, nonetheless, look for special teams to be important for Ottawa.
3.) Shut Down San Jose’s Offence – Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau. There’s some definite offence there, if Ottawa is to take 2 points, it’ll be a combined effort that includes shutting down San Jose’s offensive machine.