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Game Day: Predators @ Senators - Hoffman out, McCormick recalled |
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UPDATE: Mike Hoffman will miss tonight's game and is day-to-day, Max McCormick has been recalled.
Lines from the Morning skate:
Dzingel - Turris - Ryan
Smith - Kelly - Pyatt
Pageau - Brassard - Stone
Puempel - McCormick - Neil
Methot - Karlsson
Phaneuf - Ceci
Borowiecki - Wideman
Also, Mike Condon will get the start and look to go 3-0 in a Senators uniform.
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The Nashville Predators had a six game unbeaten streak snapped on Tuesday in Toronto, a 4-0-2 streak that included a 3-1 win over the Senators in Music City just last Tuesday.
That happened to be the only game the Senators have played this month that wasn't decided by one goal.
A big factor in this game will be whether or not Predators goalie Pekka Rinne will be able to start, after he sat out Tuesday's contest with a lower body injury and they had to turn to Mark Mazanec who couldn't get the job done that Rinne had been doing in the 6-2 loss in Toronto.
"It's frustrating," Mazanec said. "It feels like no matter what I do on the ice, the puck ends up always in my net. It's really, really frustrating right now." - The Tennesean
With a little luck Rinne will take another night off and the Senators will be able to possibly jump on a goalie who is fighting it a bit between the ears. Of course, that was what we suggested could happen on Tuesday in Philadelphia against a struggling Steve Mason but they managed to make him look pretty good despite winning 3-2 in the shootout.
The Senators continue to grip their sticks pretty tight and it has now been ten games since they put up three or more goals in a single contest. That offensive ineptitude puts more pressure on the defense and goaltending, because it reduces their margin for error. They have been able to come through this stretch pretty successfully but at some point they need to put up a 5 or 6 spot to get some confidence going, especially Derick Brassard and Bobby Ryan. Brassard seems to be creating chances and is snakebit but Ryan has been largely invisible when it comes to getting quality chances.
Sure a 2-1 or 3-2 win counts as much as a 5-0 shellacking, but it would be nice for Senators fans to get to see a no-doubter once in a while rather than hoping for a clutch Kyle Turris third period goal to get the game in to extra time. Sure, the walk-off homer is exciting, but knocking the opposition starting pitcher out of the game with 6 runs in the second inning is nice too!
Whether or not that can happen tonight could hinge on whether or not the NHL's 3rd star of last week, Rinne, can play or not.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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