Ottawa Senators: Game 65 @ Dallas Stars- Pregame Thoughts
They might be down and out, but the Stars are still fielding five skaters and a goalie at any given time. Looking to cause havoc to any teams playoff aspirations, the star-studded team aren’t to be taken lightly. The Ottawa Senators are looking to keep the run going.
#Sens HC Boucher has informed media that @CraigAnderson41 will start while @kyleturris will miss tonight's game in Dallas. Lineup is TBD.
— Sens Communications (@Media_Sens) March 8, 2017
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Forget the calamity game that the Ottawa Senators managed to win back on February 9th. Jiri Hudler stealing the headlines for all of the wrong reasons, as he dumped the puck into his own net on their powerplay.
The Sens were lucky all night against the broken Dallas Stars, who will be certainly looking to avenge that defeat just a month ago. It feels longer, we’ve had so much hockey in that period. Ottawa look to pile the pressure on the Montreal Canadiens as they look to secure two precious points at the American Airline Centre.
Beware The Wounded Animal
Ottawa need to completely forget about Dallas’s league position. It would seem that Washington did not heed this warning, losing a shock home game 4-2 on Monday night. Snapping the capitals 15 game home win streak.
Not only did they stun Washington, but the playoff hopeful Panthers as well. Saturday night, edging a 2-1 victory in Sunrise.
Benn And Seguin
Who is more important to stop tonight? #Sens pic.twitter.com/uXclS3XA7G
— SenShot (@SenShot_FS) March 8, 2017
The two main cogs in the Texas outfit, who have tried their very best to keep the show together. It hasn’t worked, but to be fair to them, there are bigger issues at play.
Gruesome Goaltending
It has been brutal, there is no nicer way to put it. Kari Lehtonen has a .905 save percentage and Antti Niemi .897 percent. Quite simply, there was no way of getting into the playoffs with that standard of goaltending. Lehtonen did save 42 shots against the Caps but it doesn’t excuse just how woeful these two have been.
Both on $5,000,000 a piece, the two goaltenders have single-handedly crippled the teams’ chances of improvement. Last season they looked good, this season they have fallen off the face of the earth. A shadow of the team that achieved 109 points last season.
Pathetic Penalty Kill
Rock bottom of the league. That is where the Dallas Stars penalty kill is, really? Yes. 74.1 percent, shockingly low.
Ottawa must look to exploit this tonight. Their own powerplay is struggling at 22nd in the league, no better way to increase those stats than against the rock bottom PK.
Dallas’s powrerplay is at 17th and Ottawa’s PK is at 12th, both seemingly will cancel each other out.
Incentive
If the @NHLBruins and @DallasStars both win tonight, the bruins will be 2nd in the Atlantic Division again.
— Tommy Hockey (@TommyHockey2) March 8, 2017
If that isn’t incentive/pressure to win, then what is? As mentioned above, a win piles pressure on Montreal. A loss gives hope to the teams below.