Game-Preview #53: Ottawa Senators @ Florida Panthers

Senators get their top center, Josh Norris back, returns to the lineup tonight versus Panthers

Since the shoulder injury that sidelined their top centerman for 15 games, the Ottawa Senators have persevered, and have been able to continue to play solid hockey in his absence, finishing the stretch with a record of 6-8-1. Now Norris obviously wasn’t the only impact player the Senators have been missing over the last few months, Drake Batherson still remains out, and Thomas Chabot missed a few games during the stretch of games too. For the remainder of the season, expect the Senators roster continues to evolve and resemble what the beginning of next season may look like (hello Jake Sanderson).

Now, enter the Florida Panthers, the 4th ranked team in the NHL, and the league’s highest-scoring team, accumulating a total of 218 goals (4.11 GF/game), but with a rejuvenated Senators lineup, and their competitive nature it should be a competitive game.

Norris Returns

Josh Norris was building on a breakout season prior to his injury, in fact, the Senators sniper still leads the team in goals with 18 in just 36 games, including 7 on the power-play. The Senators struggled mightily in Norris’ absence with the man advantage, lacking a real threat to beat the opponent’s goalie clean, they regain that asset with the return of the 22-year-old. On the power-play, Norris usually lines up in his office on the right wall/right point, where his elite shot can beat goaltenders clean, especially on the one-timer. In the previous 15 games, the Senators were only able to go 4/42 on the power-play, good for a subpar 9.52%, dropping the team’s season average down to 16.35%.

In the team’s previous game in Sunrise, Florida was an 8-2 drubbing back on December 14th, in this game, Norris had a pair of goals, including the game-winner, he and the team will be looking to upset the Pathers once again.

The return of Norris is also extremely beneficial to the rest of the team, especially Tim Stützle, as Norris will likely take some of the team’s top matchups away from the new centerman. In favour of Norris, Adam Gaudette will draw out of the lineup.

Team Leaders

Goals: OTT – Norris (18), FLA – Barkov (25)

Assists: OTT – Chabot (23), FLA – Huberdeau (57)

Points: OTT – Tkachuk (38), FLA – Huberdeau (75)

+/-: OTT – Batherson (+4), FLA – Ekblad (+34)

Shots: OTT – Tkachuk (176), FLA – Ekblad (158)

Hits: OTT – Tkachuk (178), FLA – Gudas (229)

Starting Goalies

Anton Forsberg – OTT

2021-22 Season Stats: 24 GP, 11-8-2, 0.917 SV%, 2.79 GAA, 1 SO

Forsberg has been better than anybody could have hoped for this season, it seems on every night he gives the team an opportunity to win the game, and that’s all you can ask from your goaltender, especially from your “backup”.

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Sergei Bobrovsky – FLA

2021-22 Season Stats: 37 GP, 26-6-3, 0.915 SV%, 2.63 GAA, 1 SO

Bobrovsky has enjoyed an extremely solid season for the Panthers, his 26 wins rank him 4th league-wide, he affords Florida’s high-powered offence a great amount of comfort.

All stats via Hockey Reference