Game 29 preview: Winnipeg Jets @ Ottawa Senators
A preview of the game between the Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets on 17 March 2013.
The fifth seeded Ottawa Senators will take on the third seeded Winnipeg Jets in not quite an evening and not quite an afternoon match-up at 5:00 p.m. today.
There has been no word on the starting goaltender tonight, but in a back-to-back situation, it will likely be Robin Lehner. Here are the lines from yesterday's game in Buffalo.
Greening-Turris-Silfverberg
Latendresse-Smith-Alfredsson
Regin-Zibanejad-Neil
Condra-O'Brien-Kassian
Methot-Gonchar
Phillips-Gryba
Wiercioch-Benoît
Lehner (guessing as starter)
Bishop
Paul Maclean will talk to the media at 2:30 at which point we should have updates on the starting goaltender and the healthy scratch.
Some notes for today's game:
- After an absolutely atrocious performance against Montreal, Eric Gryba and Chris Phillips rebounded nicely, and held their own. Phillips had the game tying goal as well.
- The Winnipeg Jets are the only team to win in regulation in Ottawa this season, winning 1-0 on 9 February in a game that lacked much excitement.
- Kyle Turris scored four goals in his first four games. Then he did not score a goal in the next 21 games. Now he has scored three goals in the last three games. His two goals yesterday finally moved Erik Karlsson from first in goals on the Senators. Turris is shooting the puck a lot more now, with 18 shots in his last five games.
- Sergei Gonchar is on a six-game points streak, tallying eight assists in that span. Patrick Wiercioch has four goals in his last six games.
- Chris Neil hasn't scored a goal in 18 games. Peter Regin hasn't scored a goal all season.
- Evander Kane leads the NHL with 123 shots on goal, 12 ahead of second place Alexander Ovechkin.
- The Senators lead the NHL with 33.0 shots per game and are dead last allowing 33.8 shots per game. But the Senators lead the NHL in allowing only 2.04 goals per game, and fourth last scoring 2.32 goals/game. Perfectly logical huh?
- While Ottawa is fifth in the eastern conference, they are actually fourth in points. Not only would Ottawa would have to be passed by the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th place teams, but if Carolina is one of those four teams, the Senators would also have to be passed by the currently third place Jets to miss the playoffs. The Senators are tied with the Blues for the sixth most points in the NHL, behind only Chicago, Anaheim, Montreal, Pittsburgh and Boston.