Yesterday afternoon, the Ottawa Senators played a road game in the City of Brotherly Love against the Philadelphia Flyers. Now, it's back to work on short rest against the Utah Mammoth.
Three games in four days present a challenge for any team early in the season, but it's a challenge the Senators must accept to finish the first back-to-back of November.
Sens host Mammoth to conclude first back-to-back of November
The Senators host the Mammoth at Canadian Tire Centre with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
Yesterday against the Flyers, the Senators ended up winning a game in one of the strangest ways. The Senators led 2-0 early, then went 26:25 combined in the second and third periods without a shot on goal, before winning 3-2 in overtime against the Flyers. The Senators finished the game with 13 shots on goal.
Tim Stutzle's second goal of the game turned out to be the overtime winner. Michael Amadio continued his hot start to November by scoring a goal for the third consecutive game, and Linus Ullmark was better with making 20 saves.
For the Mammoth, they have been one of the NHL's biggest surprises so far this season with being in third place in the Central Division with a 9-6-0 overall record. Despite being third in the division, Utah is struggling, having lost four of its last five games. Last night's 6-2 loss against the Montreal Canadiens was the most recent game.
Utah's depth this season has been well. Six players have 10 points or more. Nick Schmaltz leads Utah with 18 points and 14 assists, and his eight goals are tied for the most on the roster with Logan Cooley.
Last season, while the Mammoth were known as the "Utah Hockey Club," the Senators swept the two-game season series. In the two games combined, Ottawa outscored Utah 7-1. Leevi Merilainen started the Jan. 26 game in Ottawa and made 34 saves in the win.