Game 3 Preview: Ottawa Senators @ Vancouver Canucks
The Sens begin their roadtrip against the Sedins and co.
It looks like the Senators’ improved defensive depth — the talking point of the offseason — will be tested just two games into the season. With recent call-up Ben Harpur joining Erik Karlsson on the IR with a shoulder injury and Johnny Oduya still day-to-day, the team recalled prospects Thomas Chabot and Christian Jaros for this week’s road trip.
Here’s how the team lined up yesterday during their morning skate:
Update - Marc Brassard is reporting that Borowiecki has lined up with Ceci, leaving Claesson with Chabot. If Hoffman plays, he’ll be with Pageau and Pyatt, leaving Brown with Thompson and Burrows.
A couple of notes for tonight:
- According to Bruce Garrioch, both Oduya and Karlsson skated today in Ottawa; I wouldn’t expect either of them for this trip. Additionally, Boucher said yesterday that he may go 11 and 7, likely to play Jaros and scratch both Brown and Formenton.
- The Canucks beat the Oilers in their season opener, and did so without highly touted rookie Brock Boeser. Here’s how they lined up; 2014 6th overall pick Jake Virtanen played in Boeser’s initial spot.
- The ‘Nucks got rocked shots-wise, but some really clear matching: Granlund - Sutter - Dorsett; Edler - Tanev will play against whoever head coach Travis Green feels is Ottawa’s first line. My money is the line that has Mark Stone on it, but the Turris line was Ottawa’s most effective in Game 2.
- Jake Markstrom started in goal for the Canucks in Game 1, and it’d be interesting to see if he got the nod again. He once joked on Instagram that Karlsson had never scored on him before; unfortunately Erik will have to wait until later in the season to pay him back.
- Without Karlsson, the game has been marketed to Canucks fans as the return of Alex Burrows. It seems like the returning Senator always seems to bite Ottawa in the butt so it’d be nice if Burrows could do the same.
- The question for me: how many minutes will Thomas Chabot play? He starts on the right-side alongside Mark Borowiecki, and as Spencer noted, he was the star during Belleville’s first two games. I’ve got him at 12.5 minutes; are you under or over? /
