Game Day Five: Maple Leafs vs Senators, Apr. 1
The set-up
For the fourth and final time this season the Battle of Ontario kicks off at Canadian Tire Centre tonight. Two of the three games thus far have gone right down to the wire with Toronto winning 3-2, followed by Ottawa blowing Toronto out 6-2 before Toronto won 5-4 in a shootout just two weeks ago. As with all of these battles, expect the energy to be high.
The Senators are coming into tonight as winners of three of their last four games as they continue to make a push for the playoffs. With seven games to go they currently sit just five points out of the last wild card spot. The goal coming into this season was to play meaningful games into March, now we're into April and this group isn't satisfied and wants to go for it all. Behind the leadership of Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Cluade Giroux, the budding superstardom of Tim Stützle and Jake Sanderson and key contributions from Alex DeBrincat, Drake Batherson and Shane Pinto, this group looks poised to make big steps!
Toronto enters this game on a bit of a back-and-forth pace having gone 7-6-1 in March and never having won more than two games in a row. However, they are also boast the sixth best record in the NHL and are looking to edge Tampa Bay out of home ice advatage for their first-round playoff series. Led by their usual core of Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Auston Matthews, and John Tavares with 95, 85, 78, and 75 points respectively, this team is a force to be dealt with.
These two teams have an uncanny ability to bring out the both in each other so expect this game to once again go the distance and have Canadian Tire Centre rocking for a full 60!
Roster notes
Starting with the good news, the Ottawa Senators recalled defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker from Belleville. Additionally, the team elevated Ridly Greig's status and he will be available to play tonight. Now for the bad news, D.J. Smith annoucned today that Derick Brassard sustained a broken fibula in the Senators game against Philadelphia and had a successful surgery this morning. Julien Gauthier was not a member of the morning skate as he is out with a non-covid illness. Lastly, Thomas Chabot, Jakob Chychrun and Travis Hamonic will not be available for tonight or the upcoming road trip as they rehab their respective injuries. Below is how the Senators lined up during morning skate at Canadian Tire Centre:
Forwards:
Tkachuk - Stützle - Giroux
DeBrincat - Pinto - Batherson
Joseph - Greig - Gambrell
Brown - Kastelic - Watson
Defense:
Sanderson - Zub
Brannstrom - Bernard-Docker
Kleven - Holden
NoDakSens
Tonight will mark the first time since the 2020-21 NCAA season that Shane Pinto, Jake Sanderson, Tyler Kleven and Jacob Bernard-Docker will all play together, this time of course as Ottawa Senators. The group was drafted over the course of three successive NHL drafts with Bernard-Docker a second-round pick in 2018, Pinto a second-round pick in 2019, Sanderson a first-round pick in 2020 and Kleven a second-round pick in 2020. Though they won't all be on the ice together of course, look for this group to make some noise tonight!
Who to watch
Making his return to the Senators line-up, Jacob Bernard-Docker will be ready for action tonight. Bernard-Docker was in the midst of a playoff push down in Belleville and will bring that energy to the Senators line-up as they continue to scratch and claw for that final Wild Card spot. Tonight will be his 14th game as a Senator this season alone, surpassing his career total of 13 coming into this season as he continues to make a name for himself in the NHL. In 38 games this season Bernard-Docker has been a force on the blue line while scoring twice and adding three assists. Look for him to carry that game into tonight and maybe even pot his first NHL goal along the way.
Where to watch
For those not at Canadian Tire Centre, Saturday's game can be seen live on CBC and Sportsnet. Fans can also tune into the radio call on TSN 1200 and Unique FM 94,5.
