Have we ever had this much build-up as a fanbase for a game against Columbus? I genuinely want to know. Very few of us would have circled tonight’s game on our calendars quite as emphatically at the outset of the season—probably not even two weeks ago! Now the Senators return to Ottawa ready to celebrate Derick Brassard’s 1000th NHL game (against the team that drafted him (remember when he scored two goals against the team that traded him to Ottawa back in 2016?)) and with one shiny new Jakob Chychrun to introduce. Not that this fanbase needed a lot to get hyped about after that double-header against Detroit. Oh, and just for good measure, the organization seems to really have outdone themselves for Pride Night this season, so yeah, expect a very loud CTC this evening.

Game Notes:

• Injuries: Anton Forsberg and Josh Norris as you already know sustained season-ending injuries. Jake Bean, Justin Danforth, Sean Kuraly, and Zach Werenski will miss tonight’s game for the Blue Jackets.
• And if the injuries didn’t seem bleak enough for Columbus, they also just traded away Gustav Nyquist, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Joonas Korpisalo leading up to the deadline. Their roster looks a lot like Ottawa’s did for a couple of years not too long ago.
• Parker Kelly and Nick Holden appeared the odd players out at the morning skate with Cam Talbot projected to start.
• Also of note, the Jackets lost at home last night against Seattle with Elvis Merzilikins in net. If Michael Hutchinson starts tonight, it’ll mark his season debut in the NHL.
• I won’t waste much time breaking down the stats. As you could imagine with Columbus’ lineup, Ottawa has just about every statistical advantage with the exception of five-on-five shooting and save percentages (cursed season).
• Obviously the Sens need to stay wary of the trap-game factor here as emotions run high and expectations suddenly even higher. We all expect Ottawa to win this one handily but Columbus has nothing to play for except integrity. The Jackets probably don’t want to test Ottawa’s special teams but Columbus might try to get under Ottawa’s skin to avoid Detroit’s fate. Keep an eye on Mathieu Olivier (as Columbus’ lone tough guy in the lineup). Idoubt Erik Gudbranson messes around as he now serves as the Jackets’ number-one eater of defensive minutes(!).

Where to watch/listen: SN1 TVAS TSN1200 @7PM EST

Lines from Last Game:

Ottawa Senators

Columbus Blue Jackets

Stats: