While they have gotten a point in each of the last two games, the Senators come in on a 3 game losing streak, something that they will want to snap when they play host to the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night.
They will be doing so with a couple of lineup changes, with one key piece on the blue line returning while an important forward will sit out. Marc Methot is skating in his regular spot after missing 2 games with a concussion, meaning Chris Wideman is out and the defense is back to what they started the season with.
Up front there is a big shuffle going on, as Max McCormick got the first call-up to replace Mike Hoffman on the roster. Hoffman left Thursday's game late in the contest and will join Clarke MacArthur on the sidelines for this one, putting the club down 2 top 6 forwards.
Judging from the morning skate, it will be Curtis Lazar who steps onto the first line alongside Turris and Stone, while McCormick will slot in on the third line with Pageau and Chiasson. Prince took some rushes in that spot, but the way the 4th line played against New Jersey the coach looks like he might want to keep that unit together to see if they can repeat that performance.
McCormick might be considered by some to be a curious call-up considering the void left by Hoffman is for an offensive role, and McCormick has just 1 goal is far this season. Eric O'Dell and (yes, really) Colin Greening, Tobias Lindberg and currently lead the B-Sens forwards in scoring with 4 points each.
I said in the pre-season that McCormick was a darkhorse to make the team and if not would be in line for an early-season call-up and that has indeed become the case.
Craig Anderson will be between the pipes for the Senators after Andrew Hammond took the shootout loss on Thursday night. With the big gaps in the schedule, Anderson hasn't played since last Saturday and the next game is Wednesday night so he needs some action as well to stay sharp.
The visiting Coyotes were the biggest surprise of the opening week of the season, winning their first three games but have since fell back to earth, losing their last 4 with 1 OT loss mixed in. Not expected to compete for a playoff spot, essentially the Coyotes are showing that they are who we thought they were. And the Senators can't let them off the hook.
Arizona features a pair of rookies, former Canadian Junior teammates Max Domi and Anthony Duclair who have gotten their season off to a great start and are a big part of the Coyotes' future.
It will be a battle of the Stones, as brothers Mark and Michael square off, and also a battle of elite Swedish defensemen as Olympic teammates Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Erik Karlsson will stare across the ice at each other.
This is one of those games that the Senators should win, but then again so was the last one. Without Hoffman in the lineup there will be more pressure on Zibanejad and Ryan to build on a decent performance on Thursday and to do more at even strength to support what Turris and Stone are able to do and help their team get an important early season two points.