The big news for the Ottawa Senators coming out of Saturday afternoon's shootout win in Boston and heading into the Monday night matchup with the Sabres is that injuries to Chris Neil and Zack Smith have finally necessitated a call to Binghamton for someone other than a goalie.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau was summoned last night after it was revealed that Smith would be out for months with a dislocated wrist. The injury was suffered in Boston and came the game after Chris Neil went on the shelf for an injury that is considered week-to-week.
There have been lots of calls for a shakeup, and two of the consistent targets, at least from the fan base, have been Smith and Neil who many people think were being overused. Another target of ire, Chris Phillips, was a healthy scratch on Saturday and could very well be again as the blue line played some solid hockey.
Pageau has 8 goals and 18 points in 25 games with Binghamton so far this season, and coach Luke Richardson has said at times that he has been the best player in the AHL.
As for the Sabres, the consensus 30th best team heading into the season and the team who through the first month or so lived up to those lofty expectations, haven't cooperated as of late. The Sabres have won 3 in a row, 7 of their last 10 and are within 6 points of the Panthers who hold the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Like the Senators, most of the success the Sabres have had has been on the shoulders of great goaltending performances. The Sabres are by far the lowest scoring team in the league and they give up on average 13 more shots per game than they get on goal.
It is quite remarkable how the Sabres have done what they have, with their most talented player, Cody Hodgson, having just 4 points in 29 games and Chris Stewart with the same total. Both have been healthy scratches in recent games. Buffalo has just 4 players with more than 10 points - Tyler Ennis, Zemgus Girgensons, Drew Stafford and Matt Moulson - while the Senators have 9 players topping 10 points.
Girgensons, aided by a massive Latvian vote stuffing the online ballot box, leads all vote-getters for the NHL All-Star game and looks likely to start up front among the likes of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Robin Lehner will start in goal again for Ottawa after starting out shaky but rounding into great form against the Bruins. That which was his first action in two weeks after he sat out time with injury.