Game #9 Preview: Ottawa Senators @ Minnesota Wild

Senators look to rebound from last nights defeat as they wrap up their road trip versus the Wild

After a rough 5-1 defeat last night at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Ottawa Senators will get right back into the action, tonight in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

The Senators will look to put last night’s game in the rearview mirror when they take on a fresh Wild team that will be looking to right the ship as well, having lost 3 of their last 4 games. Senators forward Austin Watson will officially make his return to the lineup tonight, after missing the first 8 games of the season with an ankle injury, adding a valuable presence to the team’s bottom line. Recently acquired forward Dylan Gambrell will be out of the lineup tonight in favour of Watson, Senators coach D.J. Smith will also be inserting veteran defenceman Michael Del Zotto into the lineup for Nick Holden.

Team Leaders

Goals: OTT – Norris (5), MIN – Hartman (4)

Assists: OTT – Batherson, Brown, Stützle, Zub (4), MIN – Kaprizov (6)

Points: OTT – Batherson (8), MIN – Zuccarello (7)

Shots: OTT – Paul (23), MIN – Kaprizov, Hartman (26)

Hits: OTT – Tkachuk (20), MIN – Foligno (22)

Starting Goalies

Filip Gustavsson

2021-22 Season Stats: 3 GP, 2-1-0, 0.932 SV%, 2.24 GAA

Gustavsson has been the Senators’ best goaltender over the last year, and it’s not particularly close. The 23-year-old netminder stopped 38/39 shots he faced in the team’s lone win so far on this road trip, and with another great start, Gustavsson could take a stranglehold on the starting job.

Cam Talbot

2021-22 Season Stats: 7 GP, 5-2-0, 0.912 SV%, 2.55 GAA

Talbot has reinvigorated himself in Minnesota and is now starting the majority of the games for the wild, and has been putting up good numbers in doing so. Winless in his last two starts, Talbot will be looking to bounce back against a Senators team on the second-half of a back-to-back.

All data via Hockey Reference