The Ottawa Sentators play their last game of 2014 when they host the upstart Sabres.
After starting out in the basement of the NHL for the first part of the season, the Sabres have been steadily improving and now sit just 4 points behind the Senators in the standings, and they are even in number of wins.
After winning just 1 of his first 11 starts, goalie Jhonas Enroth has been the main reason the Sabres season has turned around. He has won 10 of his last 14 starts, although his numbers are not stellar he has been getting more goal support. The Sabres have scored 3 or more goals in 6 of their last 8 games, after reaching 3 goals just 5 times in their first 28 outings.
For the Senators, they are coming off a disappointing loss to the Red Wings, in a game where they thoroughly outplayed their opponent through 40 minutes and couldn't come away with a win. Gustav Nyquist's overtime winner is still a highlight two days later and is still the talk of the NHL.
SENATORS TO TARGET CROUSE?
The Senators are in the spot right now where they are losing contact with the playoffs, so pretty soon attention will turn to what the team needs to do at the draft. While they are sill not in the region of "catching" Edmonton or Carolina for the bottom two spots in the league, they look like they might be in the area of picks 4-8 or so. So that means that barring a lottery win neither Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel will be donning a Senators jersey.
One player who I am keeping my eye on is Kingston Frontenacs forward and current team Canada member Lawson Crouse. Crouse was ranked 9th overall by ISS in their December rankings. He is exactly what the Senators need - a big (6'3", 211 lbs and just 17 years old), power winger who has finishing ability. In the games he has played so far for Team Canada he has steadily improved and looked more comfortable in his surroundings. In the third period against Germany on Saturday he was even playing on a line with Curtis Lazar.
Who is the last legitimate top 6 power winger who the Senators have had? Nick Foligno was supposed to be that guy, and is developing into that now with the Blue Jackets, but I think you have to look back to Marian Hossa. I don't know if Crouse will be as good all-around as Hossa was and continues to be, but the Sens have long needed a winger with some meanness and goal-scoring ability who can get up and down his wing and wreak havoc. Crouse might just be the best option available in this draft to fill that need.
Crouse had 15 goals and 64 PIMs as a 16 year old with a good Kingston team last season, and already has 12 goals this season to go along with 55 PIMs in just 24 games.
You can see Crouse, Lazar and the rest of Team Canada take to the ice tonight at 8:00 against the defending gold medalist, Finland.