Game Day 5: TOR vs OTT

The set up:

The stage is set for the second Battle of Ontario of the season and just the first at Canadian Tire Centre. The last time out the Senators were able to walk away with a big 6-3 victory at Scotiabank Arena.

The Senators enter tonight riding back-to-back home wins over the Kraken and one of the league juggernauts in the Rangers. The team has reached a point of the season where they're playing at a regular cadence and you can see the difference consistency makes. In each of their last three outings they have come out of the gates playing the right way and stuck to their structures. 

Toronto comes into this one having gotten points in eight of their last nine games with a 6-1-2 record since the last time these two saw each other. Along that way however they have been wire-to-wire battles having gone to overtime or a shoot out in six of those efforts. 

As these rivalry games tend to go, expect the energy to be high and a full 60-minute battle from two teams looking to grab some crucial divisional points.

Roster report:

No updates to report on the status of Thomas Chabot however he will not be available tonight. Below is how the team lined up at morning skate today:

Who to watch:

In the last Battle of Ontario the game was back and forth until midway through the third period when the Sens took control and scored three straight. That momentum shift was spearheaded by Dominik Kubalik who broke the 3-3 tie on a snap shot that made it's way past Woll. That wasn't the first time that game that Kubalik helped shift momentum either. After Toronto took an early lead in the first, Kubalik answered back on a slap shot for his third goal in a four game window to draw the Senators back even.

As a previous 30-goal scorer, Kubalik is the kind of player who when he finds the back of the net the flood gates tend to open. Given his showing the last time these two faced off look for Kubalik to try to establish himself early tonight playing alongside Joseph and Greig.

Forsberg heating up:

Often referred to as the hardest working player on the team since his arrival in the 2020-21 season, Anton Forsberg has been showing out in his last two starts. Over his last 60 minutes, Forsberg has stopped 72 of the 74 shots he's faced for a 0.973% save percentage. He also picked up his fourth career shutout against Seattle in that span. Set to get his third straight start between the pipes, look for Forsberg to continue his hot streak against a strong Toronto team here tonight.

Where to watch:

For fans not at Canadian Tire Centre, tonight's game can be watched on TSN5 and RDS2 in English and French respectively. Additionally, TSN1200 and Unique FM 94,5 have you covered on the radio with the English and French calls.