Two of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference (not named the Columbus Blue Jackets) square off at Canadian Tire Centre Saturday night, and while on of the teams has used their hot streak to put some distance and teams between themselves and the playoff race, the other still needs to claw their way in.
Alex Ovechkin is the runaway winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy and has 5 goals in his last 3 games, all Capitals wins, to bring his league leading total to 52. He has also drawn within 1 point of Sidney Crosby for the league lead in points, so obviously as Ovechkin goes, so go the Capitals.
While the calendar saw this game as a potential showdown for a playoff spot, the Capitals haven't obliged and their three game winning streak has moved them ahead of the Penguins and Islanders into second place in the Metropolitan Division, although a loss tonight could easily see them back into a Wild Card spot, it is that tight.
The Senators are in the same situation they have been in for most of the last month...needing a win and then some help to find their way to the post-season. For the most part that help has not been forthcoming, as pretty much what could go wrong outside of their own games has gone wrong. There are still a number of teams within reach, but if a move is going to come, it has to be soon because there aren't many chances left.
There are as many as three games the Senators will be interested in the result for...the first is an afternoon game where the Penguins host the Blue Jackets. A Pittsburgh loss and Ottawa win cuts the gap to 3 points with a head to head meeting on Tuesday night. Ahead of their meeting in Toronto tomorrow night, Senators fans will have a rare challenge of cheering for the Leafs as they play the Bruins. A Boston loss coupled with an Ottawa win would trim the gap to 1 with Ottawa still holding a game in hand, and the Bruins having to sit by helplessly until Wednesday and watch Ottawa play 2 more games.
Detroit, also 3 points up on the Sens right now, head to Minnesota to face a Wild team that can pretty much clinch their playoff spot with one more win, while the Islanders host the Sabres in the final game with any type of Wild Card implications. The Isles are even with the Pens in points and Ottawa could also move within 3 points of them.
The Senators don't need a lot of things to go right, just the right 1 would make a huge difference. Boston losing in regulation would obviously be the most immediate result, because if Ottawa were to win this as well, moving within 1 point and then having two more games to play and a chance to become the hunted once again by putting up some positive results against Toronto and Pittsburgh. If Boston loses tonight, by the time they take the ice next they could be as many as 3 points out of a playoff spot, and see how good they can be at the chase.
But that is looking ahead, something that is fine for fans and media, but not something the players themselves can get caught up in.
The Senators have to focus on shutting down Ovechkin while solving Braden Holtby. The Caps netminder is looking for his 40th win of the season, and also looking for the season sweep of the Senators. Holtby has been on the right end of 2-1 contests in each of the first two meetings of the season, and has stopped 63 of 65 Senators' shots, after coming into this season with an 0-3 career record against Ottawa.
The Sens have played back to back complete games, and need to do that once again against a team that has bought into a 3 zone game under Barry Trotz. The wave of forecheck and pressure on the Captials defense to create turnovers and scoring chances is what the prescription is for the Sens.
Just don't let Ovechkin beat you....which is sometimes easier said than done. There is still no margin for error and while they can't clinch a playoff spot, a loss with some negative results in other games would all but spell their doom. They just need to win and have some faith that the help will come eventually.