Game 81 Hub: Ottawa Senators @ New York Rangers

Tonight, the Ottawa Senators will attempt to win their third straight game, as they face the New York Rangers, who will clinch the President's Trophy with a win. Given the utter lack of stakes for the Senators, expect one of their better efforts of the year.

Here are the lines from the shootout win over Montreal, with the only change for now being Zack Ostapchuk drawing in for Mark Kastelic, who took a puck to the head during practice:

Game Notes

• Brady Tkachuk is on fire, with 21 points in his last 16 games. Way to go, breaking out the big guns when it really counts.
• The Rangers are no longer "Igor and Friends"; they have other things going for them these days, namely a 3rd-best PP and PK leaguewide. Shesterkin, the expected starter for the Rangers, hasn't been as dominant (well, he's been elite compared to Ottawa but not to other teams), but a .911 save percentage is still good. The surprise has been Jonathan Quick, who's posted that same percentage in 27 games this season.
• Also, there's that Artemi Panarin guy, who has 118 points on the year. Not only is that a ridiculous number, but complementary players like Vincent Trocheck can also perform above their pay grade. Trocheck has 77 points which would top the Ottawa roster. Goes to show how a single franchise player can elevate an entire roster.
• It appears that Thomas Chabot will clock under 24 minutes a night this season. I could cry tears of joy.
• Both of the previous meetings took place in Ottawa, with a split decision in the form of 6-2 and 7-2 games respectively. Given that Ottawa has done alright in the Eastern Time Zone all season, this could be a game worth watching.
• If that's the case for you, keep in mind it's a 7:30 pm EST start tonight. The game is available on RDS2, TSN5, and TSN1200.

Stats: