The Ottawa Senators are set to take on the struggling Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night, in a matchup that pits the 2017 Eastern Conference finalists against each other. The Penguins have lost six games in a row heading into the contest, and find themselves dangerously close to the playoff bar; their only saving grace is that all teams chasing them in the Metropolitan Division have been equally underwhelming over the last number of days.
For Ottawa, Tuesday’s game creates an opportunity to get back on the right side of the Win/Loss column. The Senators have won two straight and are 5-4-1 in their last ten games, which has been good enough to keep them out of 30th place despite the Los Angeles Kings’ recent stretch of winning play. A loss tomorrow night would go a long way to ensuring that Ottawa’s draft position is as strong as possible.
If the Senators are going to get back on the losing track, they will do it with a slightly modified line-up compared to when they last took to the ice:
Monday practice lines:
— TSN 1200 (@TSN1200) March 2, 2020
Tkachuk Anisimov Ryan
Duclair Tierney Brown
Paul White Hawryluk
Balcers Peca Boedker
Xxxxx Xxxxx Sabourin
Chabot Hainsey
Reilly Zaitsev
Englund Jaros
Anderson
Gustavsson
There are a few things of note with respect to Monday’s practice lines:
- The Senators recalled Filip Gustavsson from Belleville as a result of Marcus Hogberg being away from the team for family reasons. Previously viewed by many as a potential long-term solution in net, Gustavsson has struggled with the Baby Senators this year, especially compared to Joey Daccord. Gustavsson is expected to back up Craig Anderson tomorrow.
- Artem Anisimov has been a hot hand for the Senators lately, so it’s not a complete surprise to see him get an opportunity with Brady Tkachuk and Bobby Ryan. Even so, that spot seems like it’s tailor-made for a player like Colin White with this lineup. The Senators need to figure out what they have in White and his long-term, expensive contract. Without anything of substance (read: J-G Pageau) standing in front of him, White should see some top-six minutes down the stretch.
- Craig Anderson is going to have his work cut out for him, as that blue line group still looks woefully thin. It’s impossible not to admire a player who wanted to stick around through the trade deadline to be a goaltender behind that lineup. Bless him.
Ultimately, it’s difficult to expect much from the Senators in this game against a team fighting for its playoff life. It *should* be a game that Pittsburgh wins with relative ease, but hockey is often a funny game.
As always, thanks for reading.