The Ottawa Senators are set to face off against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon in Game 1 of the first round. There is no question that the Senators will be aiming to start the series by picking up a big victory against the Hurricanes.
The Senators should also be getting a big boost for this matchup, as multiple of their key players are expected to return to the lineup after not playing in their season finale against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, and Mike Amadio are all expected to play against the Hurricanes.
However, most importantly, Brady Tkachuk will be back for the Senators for the first time since leaving Ottawa's April 11 matchup against the New York Islanders after a scary play.
After Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock accidentally hit Tkachuk with his stick while hopping over the boards to start his shift, the Senators captain was noticeably shaken up. The Senators' captain ended playing just one more shift before exiting the matchup. Yet, the Senators' star is now returning for Ottawa for the playoffs, which is huge.
With this, the Senators will thankfully have their top players in their lineup and will be looking to take advantage of it. If the Atlantic Division can start the series with a win in Game 1 against the Hurricanes, it would be significant.
Here is the Senators' full projected lineup for their Game 1 matchup against the Hurricanes.
Senators' full projected lineup for Game 1 vs. Hurricanes
Senator' Forward Lines
Drake Batherson - Tim Stutzle - Claude Giroux
Brady Tkachuk - Dylan Cozens - Ridly Greig
Nick Cousins - Shane Pinto - Michael Amadio
Warren Foegele - Lars Eller - Fabian Zetterlund
Senators' Defense Pairings
Jake Sanderson - Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot - Jordan Spence
Dennis Gilbert - Nikolas Matinpalo
Senators' Starting Goalie
Linus Ullmark
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