Game-Preview #37: Carolina Hurricanes @ Ottawa Senators
Senators look to win their third straight game, against one of the league’s best
Despite being battered and bruised, the Ottawa Senators are playing some great hockey as of late and are looking to grab another win against the Carolina Hurricanes.
91. 7 PM ET. TSN 5. Thursday, Jan 27. 109. 13-20-3. Hurricanes -255. 28-9-2
Nick Holden Inked to one-year Deal
It was announced this morning that veteran defenceman Nick Holden will be staying in the nation’s capital for another season, signed to a one-year contract, worth $1.3 million. It seems like the stay-at-home defenceman is really enjoying the city of Ottawa, and was happy to sign on for another season:
Holden - Its nice to be in Canada. Both my wife and I come from Western Canada. For kids and family its good to be in Canada with the way the covid stuff is down in the states. I like Ottawa being a big city but feels like a smaller town. Its what we like.
— TSN 1200 (@TSN1200) January 27, 2022
The 34-year-old defenceman has played in 30 games this season, playing an average of 19:22 per game, with 4 points and a respectable -4 rating, Holden has created some solid chemistry with Artem Zub on the team’s “shutdown” pairing. Holden offers nice versatility and depth for an evolving Senators team next season, likely finding his spot on the third-pairing.
Egor Sokolov Recalled
With Drake Batherson’s suffering a high-ankle sprain on Tuesday night, the team’s top forward “will be out a few months” according to Senators head coach D.J. Smith, and in a resulting move, the Senators recalled top prospect, Egor Sokolov, from Belleville to fill in on a suddenly very thin right side. Sokolov has 5 goals in his last 5 games and has clearly been Belleville’s best forward over the last few weeks.
Sokolov has 9 goals and 21 points in 27 games this season in Belleville.
Team Leaders
Goals: OTT – Norris (18), CAR – Aho (19)
Assists: OTT – Batherson (21), CAR – DeAngelo (26)
Points: OTT – Batherson (34), CAR – Aho (44)
+/-: OTT – Zub (+5), CAR – Teravainen (+17)
Shots: OTT – Tkachuk (115), CAR – Svechnikov (121)
Hits: OTT – Tkachuk (118), CAR – Staal (108)
Starting Goalies
Matt Murray – OTT
2021-22 Season Stats: 11 GP, 3-6-1, 0.904 SV%, 3.05 GAA, 1 SO
Murray captured his first shutout of the season and his third win in his last four games, stopping all 32 shots in the Senators’ 5-0 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.
The veteran goaltender has been outstanding over the course of his last 4 games, posting a 0.938 save percentage over that stretch, and is slowly creeping closer to some consistency in Ottawa.
Frederik Andersen
2021-22 Season Stats: 28 GP, 22-6-0, 0.927 SV%, 2.06 GAA, 1 SO
Andersen has been one of the better goaltenders in the NHL this season, providing a reliable, stable presence in the net that is starting to put Carolina among the league’s best.
All stats via Hockey Reference