Game 49 Preview and Open Thread: Vancouver Canucks @ Ottawa Senators

After going an impressive 3-1-0 on their latest road trip, the Ottawa Senators are back home to try and avenge their last game in Vancouver. While the games between these two teams have almost no impact, seeing the team play well down the stretch is crucial for the youngsters’ confidence and to assess the direction of this team going forward.

The biggest loss from last game may have been the injury to Matt Murray who was playing extremely well after coming back from injury, posting two shutouts in the process. While there are no details on Matt Murray or Anton Forsberg, the Sens have recalled both Filip Gustavsson and Kevin Mandolese from the Belleville Senators which indicates that the two may be out for more than just tonight’s game.

Here is the expected lineup for the Senators ahead of tonight’s game:

Game Notes:

• The frustration with DJ Smith is back in full force as he continues to sacrifice Jacob Bernard-Docker’s development for the sake of Josh Brown. With only a handful of games left, when will we see JBD in the lineup?
• Connor Brown has been one of the season’s best stories, he is poised, he can defend and he sure can score but all he needs now is a hat trick performance to make this season over the top for him.
• Shane Pinto is already making a good impression both with the coaching staff and the fans. The next few games will continue to show us how he can adjust to the NHL level and maybe give us an indication of where he could be at the beginning of next season.
• If Tim Stützle gets a hat trick, can he point at himself again or is that still not “cool”?
• Catch the game tonight at 7PM on TSN5, RDS or listen live at TSN 1200/

Team Stats

Player Stats