Game-Preview #57: Seattle Kraken @ Ottawa Senators
By Daniel Bruce
The Senators and Kraken meet for the first, tonight in Ottawa
Fresh off of a dominant 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, the Ottawa Senators will face the NHL’s 32nd franchise for the first time, the Seattle Kraken.
2255. TSN 5. Thursday, March 10. Senators -145. 17-37-5. 20-31-5. 91. 7 PM ET
Mired in a 5-game losing streak, the Senators quickly busted out of their rut in St. Louis, carried by a few tremendous games from their top players. Tim Stützle and Josh Norris contributed 3 points each (1G, 2A), while Brady Tkachuk made his presence felt with his first goal scored in his hometown. This upcoming 5-game homestand will be pivotal for the Senators, every game can be viewed as winnable, as none of their upcoming opponents rank within the top half of the league:
March 10th vs Seattle Kraken (17-37-5), 30th in NHL
March 12th vs Chicago Blackhawks (21-29-8), 25th in NHL
March 14th vs Arizona Coyotes (17-35-4), 31st in NHL
March 16th vs Columbus Blue Jackets (28-26-3), 21st in NHL
March 18th vs Philadelphia Flyers (18-28-10), 27th in NHL
This is a good opportunity for the Senators to string together some solid play, and hopefully get some great production from their top offensive players, as well as a few wins.
Anton Forsberg
Forsberg has been one of the best goalies in the entire league over the last few months, his numbers rank amongst the league’s best:
Ottawa's season turned around on December 2nd against Carolina. They're 15-16-4 since then, after starting 4-15-1.
— Everyday Sens (@EverydaySens) March 7, 2022
Anton Forsberg since December 2nd:
20 GP
10-6-2 Record
.930 SV % (12th)
11.43 GSAx (6th)
Perhaps most importantly, he hasn't been injured this season.
Forsberg’s consistent play and availability make him a much more desirable option than supposed starting goaltender Matt Murray, whose inconsistent play and durability has been worrisome. The 29-year-old goaltender is an unrestricted free agent at year’s end and his outstanding play since the beginning of December has warranted plenty of consideration for the Senators staff. The team has Matt Murray and Filip Gustavsson on one-way contracts for next season, so if there’s an extension in place for Forsberg, then room has to be made at the NHL level.
Team Leaders
Goals: OTT – Norris (20), SEA – McCann (21)
Assists: OTT – Chabot (26), SEA – Gourde (21)
Points: OTT – Tkachuk (40), SEA – Eberle, Gourde, McCann (33)
+/-: OTT – Batherson, Zub (+4), SEA – Soucy (+10)
Shots: OTT – Tkachuk (189), SEA – McCann (138)
Hits: OTT – Tkachuk (193), SEA – Lauzon (168)
Starting Goalies
Anton Forsberg – OTT
2021-22 Season Stats: 27 GP, 12-10-2, 0.921 SV%, 2.69 GAA, 1 SO
Forsberg will look to continue his tremendous play tonight when the Senators return back home, stopping 22/23 shots in his previous start versus St. Louis.
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Chris Driedger – SEA
2021-22 Season Stats: 17 GP, 5-9-0, 0.888 SV%, 3.33 GAA
Driedger is a former Senators draft pick (3rd Rd, 76th Overall in 2012), and spent a few seasons within the Senators organization before refinding his career in Florida. The now, 27-year-old goaltender broke out as an NHL-caliber goaltender last season, posting a 14-6-3 record with an impressive 0.927 SV% and a 2.07 GAA with 3 shutouts.
So far this season, Driedger has struggled to find his footing like many on the Kraken roster.
All stats via Hockey Reference