Good morning from Philadelphia! I don't know if it is always sunny here but it looks like it will be a nice day today.
The Ottawa Senators will look to continue the winning course they have been on, but suffice to say they would prefer to do it in more convincing fashion than they have been in the last couple of games. Sure, a win is a win, but these are non-playoff teams and they haven't exactly run their opponent out of the barn.
The Senators' best players have to start being their best players, and not just once in a while, but every night. That means Bobby Ryan, Kyle Turris and Mike Hoffman need to lead the way up front and take some of the load off of Tom Pyatt, for example, who for my money has been the Senators best and most consistent forward. He may not have the most points on the team but he hasn't taken a night off and he has been successful playing above his weight class in the lineup so to speak.
Mark Stone practiced with the club yesterday and is hopeful to play against the Sabres, which will certainly help, while Zack Smith did not participate for undisclosed reasons and will be a game time decision. Chris Wideman, who also missed Thursday's game will also be reassessed on Saturday morning.
Buffalo comes to town owning a 4-4-3 record, biding their time until they can get Jack Eichel and/or Evander Kane back in the fold in order to solidify things and get players into their appropriate slots in the lineup. Kane has played in just one game and Eichel has yet to suit up following the ankle injury he suffered in pre-season practice.
They are coming off a 2-1 loss in Toronto, and a return of the offensively talented Eichel and Kane would certainly help them improve on the 25th ranked offense in the league. Their ability to keep the puck out of their net has been solid, and solidly within the top 10.
Mike Condon will get the start again for the Senators, with Craig Anderson on leave and Andrew Hammond not close to returning any time soon. He was full value for the shutout he recorded in his Senators debut, and while the team in front of him tries to figure things out offensively (and especially on the struggling power play), the team will greatly benefit from another solid outing from Condon.
The Senators will likely be facing former teammate Robin Lehner in the Sabres net. Lehner stopped 27 of 29 shots in the 2-1 loss on Thursday to the Leafs.
Matt Moulson, who had a dismal 2015-16 season, is already half way to his eight total goals from last season, and he shares the club lead with Ryan O'Reilly and Kyle Okposo at four goals.
The schedule starts to get tougher as the month of November goes on, and this is another chance to both bank two points and to work out some of the kinks and inconsistencies that have plagued them so far this season in anticipation of the increasing difficulty.
Puck drop is shortly after 7 PM and it is Hockey Fights Cancer night at Canadian Tire Centre. If any franchise has a reason to have such a night, it is the Senators with the number of times their organization has been affected in the past few years by the Big C.
I probably won't be able to see this one, other than the highlights, so tomorrow will probably be me looking to you for the highs and lows.