After a few days off the Senators are set to take on the Anaheim Ducks in their series finale on the first night of a back-to-back. The last time these two saw each other it was the Ducks who walked away with the big 5-1 victory over the Sens at Canadian Tire Centre.
The Senators have been dealt some tough blows of late, riding a four-game loss streak and the injuries are piling up. The Senators are without Josh Norris, Travis Hamonic, and Zack MacEwen and played against Philadelphia without Brady Tkachuk and both of their goaltenders as Anton Forsberg was injured against Arizona and Joonas Korpisalo was dealing with an illness. The good news is that Tkachuk, Korpisalo and Forsberg are all back and healthy and the Senators have recalled Rourke Chartier to replace Zack MacEwen. The Senators also have recalled Matthew Highmore and with the Sens trading Vladimir Tarasenko this afternoon, he will slot into the line up.
The runway for a playoff position is getting shorter with each passing day as the Senators currently sit 19 points behind Tampa Bay with 23 games to go for the final Wild Card spot. That said they have a real opportunity to make up some ground on this road trip. The Senators will face two of the bottom three teams in the league in the Ducks and Sharks with the Kings sandwiched in the middle while having four games in hand on Tampa Bay. Look for leadership to set the tone early in this contest.
“For us it’s about getting to our game right away. A couple days that we needed off for a lot of guys. To be able to use that energy and focus on tomorrow cause we have another back-to-back.” - Brady Tkachuk
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This Ducks team has played spoiler on more than a few occassions this season, as the Sens experienced first hand just a few weeks ago. Though their record may not reflect it, this group poses a threat on any given night with wins over teams like the Golden Knights, Panthers, and Devils, no one is off limits against this group.
The Ducks may have to rely a little heavier on stars like Frank Vatrano and Troy Terry here as they look set to be without a couple of their young stars. Mason McTavish suffered an injury against the Devils on March 1, and Trevor Zegras who has been held out since Jan. 9 when he suffered an injury against the Predators, leaves the Ducks without two key contributors on offence. Additionally, the Ducks traded Sam Carrick and Adam Henrique this afternoon and will have to find replacements in their depth for them. However, with nine points in their last ten games this Ducks team doesn't seem to be making too many excuses and show up night after night.
