Game 52: St. Louis Blues @ Ottawa Senators

The trap game beckons. Ottawa's spirits couldn't be higher after defeating the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. St. Louis is 12th in the West and coming off of an overtime game last night. The Senators must watch themselves very carefully in this one, as the Blues are not an opponent to be taken lightly. They are only six points out of a playoff spot in the West, and their 51 points would have them in the mix for the final playoff spot in the east. Furthermore, they will be riding an emotional high after a win which saw them surrender a two-goal lead by allowing Montreal to dominate the third period of a game that should have been won in regulation. Ottawa will want a quick start in this one. As the team recently demonstrated in the losses to Carolina and Atlanta, letting any team stick around is a recipe for disaster.

As noted in today's Silver Nuggets, Milan Michalek returns to the lineup tonight. Daniel Alfredsson has set our expectations for what players' returns should look like. It will be tough for him to match that by playing fourth line minutes with Z. Smith and Jonathan Cheechoo, but that is where he is projected to play tonight. It will be interesting to see how long he stays there.

As always, please join us in the comments section to discuss the game, the team, and anything else that comes up.