Tag: Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators Look Forward for Next Step

The Ottawa Senators look forward for their next step as they aim to make the playoffs during the 2023-24 season.

2022-23

Record: 39-35-8 (86 pts) – 6th in Atlantic

Playoffs: Did not Qualify

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Key Losses

Alex DeBrincat (F – DET), Cam Talbot (G – LA)

Key Additions

Vladimir Tarasenko (F), Joonas Korpisalo (G), Dominik Kubalik (F), Zack MacEwen (F)

2023-24 Preview

The 2022-2023 season was a mixed bag for the Ottawa Senators. They had a record of 39-35-8, earning 86 points and finishing 6th in the Atlantic Division. Unfortunately, they did not qualify for the playoffs.

Looking ahead to the 2023-2024 season, there is optimism surrounding the team. Players like Tarasenko and Brady Tkachuk are expected to make an impact. Can they take that next step in their re-building and make it back to the playoffs?

After signing a one year deal, the Ottawa Senators look forward for their next step as they aim to make the playoffs with Vladimir Tarasenko in the lineup. - Photo Courtesy of the Ottawa Senators
After signing a one year deal, the Ottawa Senators look forward for their next step as they aim to make the playoffs with Vladimir Tarasenko in the lineup. – Photo Courtesy of the Ottawa Senators

What lies ahead for Brady Tkachuk?

Brady Tkachuk is a key player for the Ottawa Senators heading into the 2023-2024 NHL season. Known for his physicality and scoring ability, Tkachuk is expected to play a crucial role in the team’s performance.

With a solid 2022-2023 season under his belt, Tkachuk will be looking to build on his success. He recorded impressive numbers, contributing significantly to the team’s offense. His combination of skill, grit, and leadership qualities make him a fan favorite and an integral part of the Senators’ roster.

In the upcoming season, Tkachuk will be tasked with leading the team and providing offensive firepower. With the addition of players like Vladimir Tarasenko and Dominik Kubalik, the Senators’ offense should receive a boost, and Tkachuk will play a vital role in capitalizing on scoring opportunities.

Moreover, Tkachuk’s physical presence and aggressive style of play will continue to make him a force to be reckoned with on the ice. He isn’t afraid to get involved in the physical battles and isn’t shy about dropping the gloves when needed.

Off the ice, Tkachuk’s leadership skills are highly regarded. As an alternate captain, he brings a level of intensity and passion that inspires his teammates. His work ethic and dedication to the game set a positive example for the young players on the team.

Overall, expectations are high for Brady Tkachuk in the 2023-2024 NHL season. Fans and analysts alike will be closely watching his performance as he continues to develop into one of the league’s top power forwards. With his skill set and determination, Tkachuk has the potential to make a significant impact and play a key role in the Senators’ quest for success.

The Ottawa Senators look forward for their next step as they aim to make the playoffs with Brady Tkachuk leading the way. – Photo Courtesy of the Ottawa Senators

How does Jake Sanderson’s sophomore campaign fare?

Jake Sanderson, the young defenseman for the Ottawa Senators, is heading into the 2023-2024 NHL season with high expectations. After a promising rookie campaign, Sanderson’s development and growth will be closely monitored by fans and analysts alike.

After his rookie season, he was handsomely rewarded with a long term deal to stay with the Ottawa Senators.

Known for his smooth skating and excellent defensive instincts, Sanderson has already shown tremendous potential at a young age. He possesses great poise and composure with the puck, making him a reliable presence on both ends of the ice. His ability to make smart decisions under pressure and contribute to the team’s transition game sets him apart.

In the upcoming season, Sanderson will be tasked with solidifying his role as a key defenseman for the Senators. With his strong defensive skills, he will be relied upon to shut down opposing forwards and contribute to the team’s penalty kill. Sanderson’s positioning and hockey IQ allow him to read plays well and make timely interventions.

Offensively, Sanderson has shown glimpses of his potential with his ability to join the rush and contribute to the team’s offensive output. While his primary focus will be on his defensive responsibilities, expect him to continue honing his offensive game and contributing to the Senators’ scoring chances.

Sanderson’s work ethic and dedication to improving his craft are commendable. He has a strong desire to be the best player he can be and to help the Senators succeed. As he continues to gain experience and confidence, his impact on the team is expected to grow.

Overall, the 2023-2024 NHL season holds great promise for Jake Sanderson. With his skill set, maturity beyond his years, and commitment to continuous improvement, he has the potential to emerge as one of the league’s top defensemen.

Read our other 2023-24 Team Previews: ANA, ARI, BOS, BUF, CAL, CAR, CHI, COL, CLB, DAL, DET, EDM, FLA, LA, MIN, MON, NAS, NJ, NYI, NYR

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2022-23 Team Preview – Ottawa Senators

2021-22

Record: 33-42-7 73p (7th in the Atlantic)

Playoffs: Did Not Qualify

Key Losses

G – Matt Murray (Trade – TOR), F – Colin White (Buyout – FLA), F – Connor Brown (Trade – WAS), F – Adam Guadette (TOR), D – Victor Mete (TOR)

Key Additions

G – Cam Talbot, F – Alex DeBrincat, F – Claude Giroux

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2022-23 Preview

The Ottawa Senators continued to build for success as they became a much more rounded team with their pickups of Claude Giroux, Alex DeBrincat, and Cam Talbot. With Giroux they gain leadership and guy who can still contribute, and is excited to play for his hometown team. DeBrincat is possibly one of the biggest steals as they got him from Chicago for draft picks, but they gain an offensively gifted player that will help drive offense just as much as Giroux will. And then with Talbot, he helps secure the net after two abysmal seasons with Matt Murray in net.

Along with the veteran pickups, it’s the development of their younger players that are a highlight for the Senators. How Brady Tkachuk has grown into the leader that he is to Josh Norris who has become a viable number one center for the Senators to Tim Stutzle who continues to grow and develop into a solid player, and Artem Zub who has developed in a solid two way defender. I could list them all, but the Senators have a really great core, and should make a real push for the playoffs this season.

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Devils Comeback Falls Short in OT

New Jersey Devils (27-44-9 63pts) @

Ottawa Senators (32-41-7 71pts)

Game Recap:

Coming off of being shutout by the Detroit Red Wings, the New Jersey Devils hope to redeem themselves as they head to Canada to take on the Ottawa Senators. Unfortunately for the Devils, they would not get the result they were hoping for. Ottawa would get the 1-0 lead towards the end of the first period as Thomas Chabot scored his seventh goal of the season and his first since returning from injury.

Drake Batherson extended Ottawa’s lead by two early on at the eleven second mark as he snapped a shot past Devils goalie MacKenzie Blackwood who’s returned after a long stint on the injured list. At the 8:52 mark we saw Nolan Foote whipped a shot past the goalie for his first goal of the season and got the Devils on the scoreboard. Later on, Tim Stutzle added his twenty first goal of the season on the power play to make it 3-1 in favor of the Senators. Nolan Foote got in on the scoring act again as he scored his second goal of the game and season to get New Jersey within one with six seconds left in the second period. It would be 3-2 in favor of the Ottawa Senators after two periods.

Tim Stutzle was a big factor on special teams in this game and was again as this time he put a puck in on his backhand to beat the goalie for a short handed goal at the 6:34 mark of period three. However, New Jersey was able to get back in this one as they got gold from Pavel Zacha and Yegor Sharangovich to tie the game 4-4 and force overtime.

In overtime, Drake Batherson was able to pull off a nice move with a toe drag around the defender and slip the puck past Devils goalie MacKenzie Blackwood to give the Senators a 5-4 victory. Next time we see the New Jersey Devils in action is on Thursday night as they begin the first game of a back to back to end the regular season against the Carolina Hurricanes.

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Lineups

New Jersey Devils

Ottawa Senators

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Game Highlights

First Period

GOAL (OTT) 19:43, Power Play: Thomas Chabot (Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle)

Second Period

GOAL (OTT) :11- Drake Batherson (Brady Tkachuk, Travis Hamonic)

GOAL (NJ) 8:52- Nolan Foote (Fabian Zetterlund, Reilly Walsh)

GOAL (OTT) 16:41, Power Play: Tim Stutzle (Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris)

GOAL (NJ) 19:54- Nolan Foote (Pavel Zacha, Ty Smith)

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Third Period

GOAL (OTT) 6:34, Shorthanded- Tim Stutzle (Unassisted)

GOAL (NJ) 7:29- Pavel Zacha (Jesper Bratt)

GOAL (NJ) 10:34- Yegor Sharangovich (Damon Severson)

Overtime

GOAL (OTT) 3:17- Drake Batherson (Tim Stutzle, Erik Brannstrom)

Final Stats

Next Up: New Jersey Devils @ Carolina Hurricanes, Thursday 4/28/22 7pm EST

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Kraken Weekly: Almost Over

The inaugural season for the Seattle Kraken is just about over with one more week left to go after this week. Speaking of this week, it was a .500 one as the Kraken picked up victories against the Ottawa Senators and an impressive one over the Colorado Avalanche. Unfortunately, they would suffer back to back losses to the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars who are fighting to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Let’s take a look back at the week that was and the final week ahead:

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Winning @ home vs Ottawa (4/18/22)

Nice upset victory vs the Avs (4/20/22)

Wild storm back to beat the Kraken (4/22/22)

Dallas scores three unanswered to win against Kraken (4/23/22)

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How’s it Kraken? My thoughts on the week and what’s ahead

The regular season is about to close up shop for the Seattle Kraken in their inaugural season. With that said, it was nice to see the Kraken pick up a couple of victories this week despite picking up two losses as well. The win against the Colorado Avalanche in particular was very satisfying as they’re one of the elite teams in the league and a Stanley Cup contender too. Seattle had to really hold on in the last few minutes and held on they did with a great hard working effort to earn the victory in this one. It was a very similar victory to the one against Ottawa earlier in the week.

It wasn’t surprising to lose to the Minnesota Wild or Dallas Stars with both teams having a lot to play for. The Wild are trying to have home ice for round one of the playoffs while the Stars are trying to get in themselves. Next week is the final week of the inaugural season for the Kraken as they play two road games and two at home. I predict the Kraken will pick up two or three victories in the final week. It would be very satisfying in particular by eliminating the rival Vancouver Canucks from playoff contention with a win against them. I can see wins against the San Jose Sharks and potentially a win against the Winnipeg Jets in a makeup game due to a recent snow storm that forced this one to be rescheduled. Hang onto your hats Kraken fans and enjoy the last week of the regular season as we’ll have to wait to see the team lace up their skates again in September when training camp will open back up…enjoy the last week and stay tuned Seattle!

Final week of games for the Seattle Kraken

4/26/22- Seattle Kraken @ Vancouver Canucks

4/27/22- Seattle Kraken vs Los Angeles Kings

4/29/22- Seattle Kraken vs San Jose Sharks

5/1/22- Seattle Kraken @ Winnipeg Jets

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Kraken Weekly: At Least it Ended Well

This week was one where at least it had a good ending to it for the Seattle Kraken. Rest of the week was pretty tough as they were handed losses to the Carolina in a close affair, had a lead against the high scoring Maple Leafs but couldn’t hold on, and lost in overtime to the Ottawa Senators. Fortunately for the Kraken, despite blowing a 3-1 lead on Saturday night, they found a way to win in a seven round shootout against the Montreal Canadiens 4-3. Let’s take a look back at the week that was and what’s ahead:

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Close loss in Carolina (3/6/22)

Couldn’t hold on in Toronto vs the Leafs (3/8/22)

Overtime loss in Ottawa (3/10/22)

Thrilling shootout victory in Montreal (3/12/22)

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How’s it Kraken? My thoughts on the week that was

I really liked how the Kraken played against two of the leagues best teams in the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs. The game against Carolina was a close one and they were able to get by with a mid third period goal from Martin Necas. It was a good effort in this one and can’t be totally disappointed here. However, it was disappointing to lose against the Maple Leafs as this would have been a very nice upset to have. Gotta give credit where credit is due but Auston Matthews & Mitch Mariners we’re the Leafs best players and win it for them in the end.

It was disappointing to be down 3-0 and comeback in the third period to tie and force overtime and then lose against the Ottawa Senators. Momentum was on the Kraken’s side but they just couldn’t hold onto it and take advantage of the opportunity the Senators gave them to steal the extra point. Fortunately for Seattle, they were able to get the win in Montreal in a seven round shootout that quite honestly shouldn’t have even gotten there as they had a 3-1 lead and should’ve been able to lock the game down in the third period. As they say, a win is a win and the Seattle Kraken will take it.

Next week the Kraken only play twice as they return home to play the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings before the NHL Trade Deadline on Monday March 21st. As I’ve been talking about this the last few weeks, the trade deadline will be sometime to keep an eye on for the Kraken as the moves they make will help shape the team going forward and in the future. It’s gonna be interesting to see what happens with this team from now all the way up until 3pm EST the NHL trade deadline on March 21st…stay tuned Seattle!

Upcoming Games

3/16/22- Seattle Kraken vs Tampa Bay Lightning, 10pm EST/7pm PST

3/19/22- Seattle Kraken vs Detroit Red Wings, 10pm EST/7pm PST

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Devils Suffer Seventh Loss in a Row

New Jersey Devils (15-26-5 35pts) @

Ottawa Senators (15-22-4 34pts)

Game Recap:

Riding a six game losing streak heading into the All Star break, the New Jersey Devils hope to end that against the Ottawa Senators tonight. Unfortunately that outcome wasn’t in the cards for tonight. Nico Hischier got the Devils off to a good start as he redirected a shot from Jesper Bratt that crept under the pads of goalie Matt Murray to make it 1-0. Moments later we saw Nick Paul tie the game 1-1 for the Senators as he lifted a shot from the face off circle for his ninth goal of the season. After the first period, the game would be tied 1-1.

Period two saw things continue to unravel as Nick Holden and Adam Gaudette each score within a span of a minute to give Ottawa a commanding 3-1 lead that would last the rest of the middle frame.

New Jersey just couldn’t get anything going offensively after their opening goal by Nico Hischier. Ottawa scored once more as Connor Brown returning from injury, scored his sixth goal of the season to make it 4-1 and the final score of the game. New Jersey’s losing streak now goes to seven games and they hope to end it tomorrow night as they head to Montreal to take on the Canadiens.

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Lineups

New Jersey Devils

Ottawa Senators

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Game Highlights

First Period

Second Period

Third Period

Game Stats:

NJ OTT
Faceoffs 27 (59%) 19 (41%)
Power Play 1/1 0/0
Shots 33 24
Hits 28 44

Next Up: New Jersey Devils @ Montreal Canadiens, Tuesday 2/8/22 7pm EST

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Devils Fall to Sens in Shootout

New Jersey Devils (9-9-5 23pts) vs

Ottawa Senators (7-15-1 15pts)

Game Recap:

After a shalacking to the Jets on Friday night, the New Jersey Devils return home with hopes of redeeming themselves against the Ottawa Senators. It didn’t take the Devils long at all to score as they did thirty-five seconds in thanks to Damon Severson. Severson sent a well placed shot through traffic that would beat Senators goalie Anton Forsberg for his third goal of the season. That would be the only goal of the period as the Devils did a good job containing the youthful and talented Senators and head into the next period with a 1-0 lead.

Things were off to a great start for the Devils until Ottawa tied the score up 1-1 at the 7:15 mark of period two. Brady Tkachuk got the puck in a scrum and fed it to Drake Batherson who wristed it past Devils goalie MacKenzie Blackwood for his eighth goal of the season. About a minute later, Nathan Bastian gave the Devils their lead back as he tipped in a shot from PK Subban for his third of the season and first goal since re-joining the Devils and being selected in the expansion draft by the Seattle Kraken. Brady Tkachuk got involved offensively again as he tied the score for Ottawa who buried the quick fees from Drake Batherson for his eighth goal of the season. The score between the two teams would be tied 2-2 heading into the third period.

Period three was a tight one as neither team could score and this game would require overtime. Overtime was as tight as regulation. Both teams had some chances in the extra period but again no one would get the game winner which would send this one to a shootout. In the shootout, the Ottawa Senators would be the victors as Josh Norris would score the game winning shootout goal to give his team a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. The Devils are back at it on Wednesday night as they host the struggling Philadelphia Flyers.

Lineups

New Jersey Devils

Ottawa Senators

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Game Highlights

Final Stats

Next up: New Jersey Devils vs Philadelphia Flyers, 12/8/21 @ 7pm EST

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NHL Stars of the Week – Shutting Down for Top Honors

Today the National Hockey League announced their Three Stars of the Week for the week of October 25th through 31st.

First Stars – Jacob Markstrom (G – CAL)

  • Jacob Markstrom would be a brick wall for the Calgary Flames as he would allow only one goal on 94 shots faced for the week. In three games played Markstrom would post a perfect 3-0-0 record with a 0.33 goals against average, .989 save percentage, and two shutouts. He would start the week with a 28 save 5-1 victory over teh New York Rangers on Oct. 25th, and then would earn consecutive shutouts as Markstrom would stop all 45 Pittsburgh shots in a 4-0 victory on Oct. 28th, and 20 saves in a 4-0 victory over Philadelphia on Oct. 30th.
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Second Star – Drake Batherson (RW – OTT)

  • Drake Batherson would record three goals and three assists for six points in two games played for the Ottawa Senators. Batherson would begin the week with his first career hat trick as he would record three goals and an assist in a 7-5 loss to Washington on Oct. 25th. Then he would record two assists in a 4-1 victory over Dallas on Oct. 29th.
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Third Star – Alex Killorn (LW – TB)

  • Alex Killorn would pace the League with four goals and two assists for six points in three games played for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Killorn would start the week with the lone goal in a 5-1 loss to Buffalo on Oct. 25th. Then he would record a goal and an assist in 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Oct. 26th, and would close out the week with two goals and an assist in a 5-1 victory over Arizona on Oct. 28th.
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*All Graphics courtesy of the NHL, Calgary Flames, and Ottawa Senators.

Caps v. Sens – Talk About a Wild One

Washington Capitals (3-0-2 8pts) v. Ottawa Senators (2-3-0 4pts)

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Game Recap:

In Ottawa for the first time since January 31st, 2020, the Washington Capitals looking to bounce back from their 4-3 overtime loss to Calgary on Saturday as they take on the Senators, who are also looking to bounce back from a loss of their own from Saturday. In the first period the Sens would strike first as Drake Batherson would net his second of the season on the first shot of the game for the Sens to take the 1-0 lead. However, the Caps would respond with a pair of goals from TJ Oshie to give them the 2-1 lead. The Caps would not be finished there though as a floater from the point by Nick Jensen would find it’s way past Anton Forsberg to grow the Caps lead to two, and then John Carlson would snipe one past the glove of Forsberg to give the Caps the 4-1 lead and chase Forsberg from the Ottawa net.

Then in the second period Josh Norris would strike to get the Senators back on the board and breathe some life into them as they cut their deficit to two. Then there would be a series of penalties between the two teams that would result in some 4 on 4 action and two powerplays for the Sens, and on the second powerplay Chris Tierney would get the puck past Ilya Samsonov to get the Sens with one. Then minutes later Drake Batehrson would net his second of the game to tie the game at four. However, late in the second period Alex Ovechkin would take charge and storm the Ottawa net to score his sixth of the season to retake the one goal lead, and then Oshie would complete the hat trick to give the Capitals the 6-2 lead heading into the second intermission. The Caps would be outshot 16 to 6 by the Sens in the second period.

In the third period Drake Batherson would complete his hat trick to bring the Sens back within one. However, Alex Ovechkin wouldn’t have any of it as he would net his second of the game to give the Capitals the 7-5 victory over the Senators. Both teams would have powerplay opportunities in the third, but neither team would capitalize on them.

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Lineups:

Washington Capitals:

Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson

Anthony Mantha — Connor McMichael — T.J. Oshie

Conor Sheary — Hendrix Lapierre — Daniel Sprong

Carl Hagelin — Lars Eller — Garnet Hathaway

Martin Fehervary — John Carlson

Dmitry Orlov — Nick Jensen

Trevor van Riemsdyk — Justin Schultz

Ilya Samsonov

Vitek Vanecek

Scratched: Dennis Cholowski, Matt Irwin

Injured: Nicklas Backstrom (hip), Nic Dowd (lower body)

Ottawa Senators:

Brady Tkachuk — Josh Norris — Drake Batherson

Tim Stutzle — Nick Paul — Connor Brown

Alex Formenton — Chris Tierney — Tyler Ennis

Zach Sanford — Logan Shaw — Scott Sabourin

Thomas Chabot — Artem Zub

Nick Holden — Nikita Zaitsev

Victor Mete — Josh Brown

Anton Forsberg

Filip Gustavsson

Scratched: Michael Del Zotto, Dylan Gambrell

Injured: Austin Watson (ankle), Colin White (shoulder), Shane Pinto (upper body), Matt Murray (upper body)

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First Period:

OTT Goal – 2:26 – Drake Batherson (2) from unassisted

WAS Goal – 6:26 – TJ Oshie (2) from Trevor van Riemsdyk (4)

WAS Goal – 11:10 – TJ Oshie (3) from Anthony Mantha (2) and Connor McMichael (1)

WAS Goal – 13:37 – Nick Jensen (2) from Dmitry Orlov (3) and Conor Sheary (2)

WAS Goal – 15:43 – John Carlson (1) from Lars Eller (2) and Martin Fehervary (1)

End of FirstWAS – 4OTT – 1
Shots1813
Faceoff Wins916
Hits815
Powerplay0/00/0
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Second Period:

OTT Goal – 5:57 – Josh Norris (3) from Artem Zub (3) and Drake Batherson (2)

WAS Penalty – 6:23 – Evgeny Kuznetsov 2 minutes for Roughing

OTT Penalty – 7:11 – Brady Tkachuk 2 minutes for Unsportsmanlike Conduct

WAS Penalty – 8:11 – TJ Oshie 2 minutes for Interference

OTT PPG – 9:36 – Chris Tierney (4) from Tyler Ennis (3) and Thomas Chabot (2)

OTT Goal – 11:16 – Drake Batherson (3) from Brady Tkachuk (2)

WAS Goal – 16:27 – Alex Ovechkin (6) from unassisted

WAS Goal – 19:52 – TJ Oshie (4) from Connor McMichael (2)

End of SecondWAS – 6OTT – 4
Shots2429
Faceoff Wins2033
Hits2020
Powerplay0/01/2
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Third Period:

OTT Goal – 6:32 – Drake Batherson (4) from Josh Norris (1) and Thomas Chabot (3)

OTT Penalty – 8:37 – Alex Formenton 2 minutes for Holding

WAS Goal – 10:46 – Alex Ovechkin (7) from Tom Wilson (7)

WAS Penalty – 12:19 – Anthony Mantha 2 minutes for Hooking

OTT Penalty – 16:30 – Brady Tkachuk 10 minute Misconduct

WAS Penalty – 16:30 – Tom Wilson 10 minute Misconduct

End of ThirdWAS – 7OTT – 5
Shots3137
Faceoff Wins2744
Hits3025
Powerplay0/11/3
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Caps v. Sens – Heading North

Washington Capitals (3-0-2 8pts) v. Ottawa Senators (2-3-0 4pts)

Time: 7p EST

Station: NBC Sports Washington, SportsNet1, RDS

Preview:

Heading north of the border for the first time since February 2020, the Washington Capitals visit the Ottawa Senators in a battle of the two nation’s capitals. Both teams are also coming off of disappointing losses, and are looking to get themselves back in the win column.

The Senators are coming off of a disappointing loss from which they had a two goal lead that was taken away from them by the New York Rangers. In the first period Nick Paul would open the scoring for the Sens, and then in the third period Josh Norris would grow the Sens lead to two. Later in the third period Chris Kreider would score on the powerplay and also knee Matt Murray in the head taking him out of the game. As a result Anton Forsberg would enter the game and the Rangers would take advantage of a cold goaltender as Ryan Lindgren and Barclay Goodrow would score to give the rangers the 3-2 victory over the Sens.

For the Capitals they are coming off of a disappointing loss that saw them fall early to the Calgary Flames 3-0 when Andrew Mangiapane would score and Elias Lindholm would score a pair of goals for the Flames. As a result of the Caps collapse Vitek Vanecek would get pulled, and Ilya Samsonov would finish the game. The message from the move was received as the Caps woke up and got goals from Evgeny Kuznetsov, Martin Fehervary (first career NHL goal), and Alex Ovechkin to tie the game at three. However, it would be in overtime when Lindholm would complete the hat trick to give the Flames the 4-3 overtime victory.

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Washington Capitals

Projected Lineup:

Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Tom Wilson

Anthony Mantha — Lars Eller — Daniel Sprong

Conor Sheary — Connor McMichael — T.J. Oshie

Carl Hagelin — Nic Dowd — Garnet Hathaway

Martin Fehervary — John Carlson

Dmitry Orlov — Nick Jensen

Trevor van Riemsdyk — Justin Schultz

Vitek Vanecek

Ilya Samsonov

Scratched: Hendrix Lapierre, Dennis Cholowski, Matt Irwin

Injured: Nicklas Backstrom (hip)

Keys to the Game:

  1. Better Start
    • On Saturday afternoon the Caps started strong, but a post by Evgeny Kuznetsov would flatten the Caps and let the Calgary Flames get the jump on them for a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes of play. The Caps would rebound with a three goal second period, but would fall in overtime to the Flames. Going against the Senators the Caps will need to have a better start, and not let themselves get deflated if they give up the first goal again.
  2. Redemption for VV
    • The Caps let down Viteck Vanecek in the first period against the Flames, and as a result he was pulled from the game to send a message to the team. The message was received as the Caps responded with the three goal second period before falling in overtime. Vanecek deserves redemption, and the team owes it to him too.

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Ottawa Senators

Projected Lineup:

Brady Tkachuk — Josh Norris — Drake Batherson

Tim Stutzle — Nick Paul — Connor Brown

Alex Formenton — Chris Tierney — Parker Kelly

Zach Sanford — Logan Shaw — Tyler Ennis

Thomas Chabot — Artem Zub

Victor Mete — Nikita Zaitsev

Nick Holden — Josh Brown

Anton Forsberg

Matt Murray

Scratched: Scott Sabourin, Michael Del Zotto

Injured: Austin Watson (ankle), Colin White (shoulder), Shane Pinto (upper body)

Keys to the Game:

  1. Solid Goaltending
    • In all honesty, the Senators should have won on Saturday against the New York Rangers, and then Chris Kreider happened and took out Matt Murray who was playing spectacularly for the Sens. Once Kreider’s knee to Murray’s head forced Anton Forsberg into the game, the Sens would end up falling 3-2. If Murray is out long term Forsberg is going to need to pick up the play and give the Sens the solid goaltending they will need against a highly talented Caps team.
  2. Solid Overall Game
    • The Sens were playing a really solid game against the Rangers until Murray got taken out by Kreider. If they want to look to compete with the Caps the Sens will need play just like they did for the first 54 minutes, but for a full 60 minutes.

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