The trade deadline has come and gone and for the most part the Senators remain in tact, with only the addition of Boris Katchouk claimed off waivers from Chicago to report. With the news that Parker Kelly will be serving a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head in Thursday's game against the Kings, we will see Katchouk's debut this afternoon after travelling to San Jose yesterday.
The Senators will look to finish this road trip on a high note after picking up a point in LA on the second night of a back-to-back. That game showed a lot of signs of optimism facing one of the top teams in the Western Conference and nearly stealing two points in their house. Two separate times the Senators we able to curb major momentum shifts, first when the Kings capitalized on a huge Cam Talbot save resulting in Quinton Byfield scoring on the very next play after receiving a breakout pass behind the Senators defence. Just 15 seconds later Brady Tkachuk got one back for the Senators in a swirling, falling shot that moved him up to seventh on the Senators all-time scoring list with 152 goals in his young career.
After falling behind in the third period the Senators mounted a comeback after Shane Pinto dove to keep the puck in possession of the Senators tipping it to Artem Zub who found a wide open Drake Batherson who buried the game tying shot so send it to overtime and secure a point. Though they didn't get the result they wanted everyone walked away from that game happy with the play and effort given.
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This Sharks team looks a lot different than it did the last time they faced off against the Senators. In the last week the team has traded Anthony Duclair and a 2025 seventh-round draft pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Jack Thompson and a 2024 third-round draft pick. Their moves didn't end there as they sent star player, Tomáš Hertl, a 2025 third-round draft pick, and a 2027 third-round draft pick to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for David Edstrom and a 2025 first-round pick.
It's been a tough season for the Sharks who sit in last place in the NHL with 37 points in 62 games and currently in the midst of a nine-game losing streak with their last win coming against the Flames on Feb. 15. That said the Senators are also on a six-game losing streak and won't be taking the Sharks lightly. In their last meeting this season, it took 59:55.7 to decide a winner when Vladimir Tarasenko swatted in a goal to give the Senators a 5-4 win.
Expect both teams to come into this contest hungry to break their recent skids, and for the Senators to try to capitalize on some momentum from their showing against the Kings.
