The Ottawa Senators look to extend their improbable late season winning streak to a season-high 5 games as they head to the Shark Tank to face San Jose.
Andrew Hammond will also look to extend his shutout streak, currently sitting at over 170 minutes, not having been beaten since the first period of the Florida game last Saturday.
Ottawa's hopes for a late season playoff push was dealt a blow with Boston's overtime win against New Jersey on Friday, and with a win on Saturday afternoon against Phoenix they would push the gap back up to 9 points. This just shows how important winning games early in the season is, and just how tough it is to make up points late in the season.
Whether the Senators run is too little, too late, they deserve credit for turning their game around and playing their best and most consistent hockey of the season. It is 99% assured that it is too late, but the learning they have done over the frustrating middle of the season has given the young core the experience they need. The mistakes they were making early on aren't happening with as much frequency and they are winning the close games that they were losing early on. They are still a couple of top end pieces away from being a legitimate contender, but there is no reason why they shouldn't make things interesting down the stretch and over the last 22 games, anything can happen no matter how improbable (just look at Hammond's week for confirmation of that).
The Senators can make things easier for themselves if they could get the power play going, with just 1 goal in their last 17 chances over their past 5 games.
The Sharks are struggling at the wrong time, having lost their last 2, 4 of their last 5 and 9 of their last 12, and have slid their way out of the playoffs and watching the Kings go the other way. If they harbor any hope of getting into the playoffs, they would have to look at the Senators as a must win game, already sitting 2 points behind the Kings for 3rd in the Pacific Division and 3 points out of the last wild card spot. If they lose this one and the Kings win on Sunday to move 4 points up, it will be interesting to see what Doug Wilson does during Monday's trade deadline.
This will be the last opportunity for the Senators to showcase some players (looking at you Colin Greening) for potential trades come Monday, with a strong possibility that pending UFAErik Condra could also get moved. His price will probably never be higher, as he has played well and had a 5 game point streak snapped in LA. The Chrises - Neil and Phillips - had the potential to draw interest, but injuries will likely keep them in Ottawa. David Legwand is another possibility but it might be tough to move that extra year without retaining some salary in the trade. Other than that, even Milan Michalek seems to have regained some of his jump and I am not sure the Senators want to touch the core.
On the blue line the Senators would like to move Patrick Wiercioch, but my men's league team might be at the front of the line for his services.
I know I said weeks ago that I wouldn't mention Senators an playoffs in the same sentence, but this streak has at least brought them into the fringe of the conversation. Worst case scenario today and the Senators are 9 points back with 3 games in hand. Best case they are 5 back with three games in hand. So after scoffing so many times at announcers calling the last 10 games or so "pivotal", this is really a pivotal day for the team. Still a longshot, but success, like failure, can be contagious.