Game 66 Preview + Open Thread: Ottawa Senators @ Nashville Predators

In the wake of the sudden, unexpected death of team owner Eugene Melnyk, the Ottawa Senators are back in action tonight against the Nashville Predators. There will undoubtedly be many questions about the future of the franchise that must be answered in the days and weeks ahead but very little of that can be addressed today. One of the biggest challenges facing the players will be to remain focused on the games at hand amidst what is a bit of a surreal feeling. Melnyk’s role atop the organization had been the one constant on the team for the last nineteen years.

Meanwhile, Nashville is enjoying something of a renaissance this season thanks in large part to Roman Josi. The 31 year-old leads all defensemen in scoring with 81 points — a full eight clear of second-place Cale Makar. Josi’s long been one of the league’s premier offensive defensemen, and he could very well be in line for his second Norris Trophy at the end of the season.

The other pillar for the Preds has been Jusse Saros, now in his second season as the full-time starter following the retirement of Nashville stalwart Pekka Rinne. Saros is possibly the smallest goalie in the NHL, but thanks to his sharp positioning and exceptional athleticism he is one the best.

There will be no changes to the Sens’ line-up from the Saturday night game against the Florida Panthers, which means we’re looking at the following alignment:

Forsberg once again gets the start in net.

Game Notes:

• Brady Tkachuk shared a thoughtful message on Twitter last night after Melnyk’s passing was announced:/

Mr. Melnyk provided me, my teammates, and many Sens players who came before us with an opportunity to live out our dream. The Ottawa community will miss you greatly. Condolences to your family. https://t.co/lNeXwUDurF

— brady tkachuk (@BradyTkachuk71) March 29, 2022

• An emotional Pierre Dorion spoke about Melnyk at the today’s GM Meetings.
• Former Senator Matt Duchene is having a strong year scoring-wise in Nashville, with 67 points in 62 games; a major rebound season after struggling mightily in 2020-21.
• Puck drop is 8pm ET, you can watch on TSN5 or RDS2, and listen on TSN1200 radio./

Head-to-Head:

• All statistics are courtesy of NHL.com and Natural Stat Trick:/

Player Stats

Team Stats