Wednesday night saw the Senators put on a dominant performance over the Ducks in their 5-1 win. Noah Gregor scored his third goal of the season for the Senators, while Brady Tkachuk (one goal, one assist) and Tim Stützle (two assist) both recorded two-point nights. Goaltender Linus Ullmark continued his strong play, stopping 31 of 32 shots for a .969% save percentage. However, it was forward Drake Batherson who stole the show.
Batherson scored three straight goals for a natural hat trick, the second hat trick of his career (his first came on October 25, 2021). His first goal of the night marked the 100th goal of his NHL career. Batherson recorded an assist on Tkachuk’s goal, as well, giving him four points on the night.
Tonight’s game will give the Senators an opportunity for redemption against the Hurricanes, who they previously played on November 16. The Senators were shut out that night as they fell by a score of 4-0 in a game that could have easily gone a different way. A goal by Tim Stützle that would have tied the game 1-1 was called off by the refs, and the Senators were unable to regain momentum.
Like the Senators, the Hurricanes come into tonight’s game aiming to win their second in a row. They last played on Tuesday when they beat the San Jose Sharks by a score of 3-2.
The Senators skated this morning in Raleigh. Head coach Travis Green announced that goaltender Linus Ullmark would start in net for the Senators tonight. He also confirmed that the lineup from Wednesday night’s win would remain the same.
The team also made a roster move, recalling forward Cole Reinhardt from the Belleville Senators. The forward has played in five games with the Senators this season, during which he has recorded a goal and an assist. The goal marked Reinhardt’s first in the NHL. In 12 games with the Senators’ AHL affiliate in Belleville, he has five goals and 10 assists for 15 points.
It promises to be a good game tonight, as the Senators take on a strong opponent and seek to avenge their first showing in Raleigh earlier this season.
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