Game 7 Hub: Ottawa Senators @ Arizona Coyotes

Following a back-and-forth shootout loss against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Ottawa Senators travel to Arizona to face the Coyotes.

With a 1-4-1 record, the Sens have been playing to expectations as of late with fast back-and-forth hockey, but very few tallies in the wins column. The Coyotes sit in the middle of the pack so far with a 3-2-1 record, winning their last game against the Nashville Predators.

Here are Ottawa’s expected lines and pairings. If Anisimov can’t play, one of Mikkel Boedker or Jordan Szwarz will draw in.

Game Notes

• A rough start for special teams might be a new head coach’s worst nightmare, since they’re a lot more influenced by coaching compared to 5v5. The restlessness is already starting to show with D.J. Smith, who has been increasing the speed and intensity during practices. He may be in for a long season.
• With Craig Anderson in net, the Senators will need another miraculous performance like Nilsson delivered last game, if they have any hope of winning. Giving up 40+, or even 50+ shots on the regular is obviously hard to overcome — those games tend to be pretty fun, but the defence can be tough to watch.
• Vladislav Namestnikov has certainly left a good first impression, being promoted to the first line. Brady Tkachuk and Colin White have been Ottawa’s best forward pair so far this season, so maybe the trio can find some chemistry.
• At long last, after what feels like eons of waiting, Nick Paul is finally getting a shot in the top nine. His line pairing with Jean-Gabriel Pageau should provide for some solid defence, although Anthony Duclair tips back the scale with his offensive flair. It’ll be interesting seeing how long he sticks with the main roster — this tryout game may play a factor in whether he’s headed back to Belleville.
• Phil Kessel plays for the Coyotes now, in case that slipped your mind from the off-season. I certainly forgot.
• Game time is 7:00 PM EST, with the broadcast on SN360 and CITY./

Stats

All stats from NHL.com, except Corsi/Fenwick from NaturalStatTrick.com

Player Stats

Team Stats