The Set Up
The 2023-24 season is finally at our feet and both of these teams are out with something to prove starting tonight. The Senators come into this season looking to take that next step to make the playoffs. After falling just six points shy last year the team made some big offseason acquisitions in Vladimir Tarasenko, Joonas Korpisalo and trading Alex DeBrincat to acquire Dominik Kubalik. Another season of experience and chemistry under the belts of Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle paired with Claude Giroux could see another season of career bests for the trio.
Carolina comes into this season after falling to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals this past playoff. To say they are coming into this season with a vengeance almost feels like an understatement. Perennial favourites to win the President’s trophy and tied for the best odds to lift the cup this year coming into the season, this Carolina team is dangerous. Armed with potentially the best defensive group in the NHL featuring Jaccob Slavin, Brent Burns, Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, Dimtry Orlov and Tony DeAngelo.
It'll be no small task for the Senators to take down Carolina tonight but the same could be said for the test that Carolina faces tonight as well. One way or another we’re surely in for a good game, especially since NHL hockey is back!
Roster Notes
Below is how the Senators lined up at morning skate at PNC Arena today:
Brady Tkachuk – Tim Stützle – Claude Giroux
Mathieu Joseph – Ridly Greig – Drake Batherson
Dominik Kubalik – Rourke Chartier – Vladimir Tarasenko
Parker Kelly – Mark Kastelic – Josh Norris
It looks like Joonas Korpisalo will get the nod to mind net in the season opener tonight. Additionally, though Norris participated in practice, as he has throughout training camp and pre-season, there is no indication whether he will play tonight or not. The Senators have been cautious with his return to play given how integral he is to the future success of the organization. Should Norris not play tonight the Senators will line up 11 forwards and six defencemen.
Player to Watch
Poised for a big season this year keep an eye on Drake Batherson tonight. Batherson had a strong pre-season highlighted by a four point performance in the Senators 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers in the first of two homecoming games for the Nova Scotia native at Kraft Hockeyville in Sydney, NS. Batherson looks to line up with Mathieu Joseph and Ridly Greig tonight and sits just three assists shy of 100 career NHL assists.
New look Tendy Tandem
One of the newest additions to the Senators, Joonas Korpisalo is set to make his debut tonight. GM Pierre Dorion had his eyes set on a true number one goaltender this offseason and Korpisalo fit the bill. Korpisalo has a career 0.904% save percentage and is on the verge of his 100th career NHL win.
Of course, for Korpisalo a big draw to coming to Ottawa was his goaltending partner, Anton Forsberg who he is quite familiar with. The two became familiar with each other while playing for the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. When choosing his next team as a free agent this summer Forsberg was a great spokesperson for both the Senators and for Korpisalo when each side was inquiring about making Korpisalo the next goaltender of the Ottawa Senators.
Training camp and pre-season showed just how well these two work together. Challenging each other day in and day out we saw both goaltender push the other throughout camp resulting in each registering a shutout in back-to-back games against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Winnipeg Jets full squads. The ceiling for these two seems to be rising at the hands of each other and tonight we get our first regular season glimpse of what that may be.
Where to Watch
Fans looking to follow tonight’s game can tune in on Sportsnet One and RDS. Additionally, as they have since day one, TSN1200’s Dean Brown and Gord Wilson will be calling the game tonight.
