Ottawa Senators Open Season Against Buffalo Sabres
The Ottawa Senators hit the road to open the season against the Buffalo Sabres. The contest will be the season opener for both teams. The Senators are coming off a season which saw a miraculous late season push result. The late season push resulted in a playoff berth. The Senators finished 4th in the Atlantic Division with a 43-26-13 record. The Sabres finished 8th in the Atlantic division with a 23-51-8 record.
(0-0-0, 0 pts) 1st in Atlantic Division
VS
(0-0-0, 0 pts) 1st in Atlantic Division
2:00 PM
First Niagara Centre, Buffalo, New York
TV/RADIO: MSG-B, BELL TV, RDS, TSN5
MATCH-UP HISTORY
The Senators dominated the Sabres last season. Last season’s series was won 3-0-1 by the Senators. Ottawa outscored Buffalo 14-10 over the four games played last season. Ottawa shows up to this game with many familiar faces. The roster has seen little change since the teams last met in March. The Sabres show up to the rink with many new faces and players.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Jack Eichel BUF – The 2nd pick of the 2015 entry draft makes his NHL debut. The Sabres faithful have a ton of hope invested into this young man. Will he open his NHL career up with a goal or perhaps an assist?
Bobby Ryan OTT- Ryan scored five points against the Sabres last season. Ryan is coming off what some deemed a disappointing campaign in terms of the Senators return on investment. Will he open the season up with a bang?
Robin Lehner BUF- The former Senators goalie was shipped to Buffalo last season. The Senators chose to stick with Craig Anderson and Andrew Hammond over Lehner. Will Lehner enter the game with a chip on his shoulders? Lehner never could quite hold down the net in Ottawa, will he be able to in Buffalo?
THREE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Opening Day- Both teams start this game with 0-0-0 records. Both clubs will want to start the season with a win. The expectations for both teams should be tempered this season. Buffalo was one of the worst teams in the NHL last season and in full tank mode for Connor McDavid. Ottawa snuck into the playoffs off one of the most miraculous winning stretches seen in sports. Will either of these squads make the playoffs this season? The Sabres will be without Brian Gionta for this contest according to Pro Hockey Talk. According to Bruce Garrioch, The Senators will be without Clarke MacArthur as it appears he suffered another concussion in the final exhibition game.
2. Advanced Statistics– Buffalo had the worst Corsi For Percentage/Shot Attempt Percentage of any team last season. The Sabres possessed a miserable 37.5%. Buffalo was essentially without the puck for around sixty percent of every single game. Buffalo had the 2nd worst goals against last season with 174, and 2nd worst goals for with 109. Ottawa was 11th in goals for with 151, and 15th worst in goals against with 143. If the teams mimic last seasons, Ottawa should easily win this game.
3. 68-7-61– The Senators are rolling out a very promising first line. Mike Hoffman, Kyle Turris and Mark Stone. Hoffman and Stone were 1st and 2nd on the team in Even Strength goals last season. Turris spent last season establishing himself as the teams top centre. How will the trio fare opening night? I anticipate a big evening from the Senators top pairing on opening night.
Next: Will The Senators Make The Playoffs?