Livescore
The NHL out-of-town scoreboard was extra kind to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night. The Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets both had a chance to pull farther away from the Senators, but both clubs suffered regulation losses.
The Blue Jackets (WC1) currently hold the first wild-card spot in the East, three points ahead of the Senators, following their 6-2 loss to Tampa Bay. The Red Wings lost 2-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes to remain below the playoff line, tied with the New York Rangers (WC2) at 66 points—one point ahead of the Senators..
The scoreboard news in Ottawa’s rearview mirror was also favourable on Tuesday. The Boston Bruins lost 6-3 to the Nashville Predators to stay one point back, and the Philadelphia Flyers remained three points behind Ottawa after their 6-3 loss to the Calgary Flames. Even Pittsburgh and Buffalo lost, for those of you holding out hope for a miracle,
The only blemish on the out-of-town scoreboard for Ottawa was the New York Islanders’ surprise 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
The Task At Hand
With 21 games left to play, the Senators will try to help their own cause on Wednesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. A Senators win, combined with a Rangers loss at home to Washington, would put Ottawa back above the playoff line.
The Hawks are the second-worst team in the NHL, with a 19-35-7 record, but they’re loaded with prospects and have won their last two games.
They also shook things up on the weekend with the trade of defenceman Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers in exchange for goalie Spencer Knight. Jones had been grumbling to the media in recent days about the direction of the team.
Chicago’s new goalie made his debut on Monday night like a Knight in shining armour. He made 41 saves in a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. He got a loud ovation from his new fans as he spoke rinkside after the game with CHSN’s Darren Pang.
With former 67s goalie Peter Mrazak said to be on the trade block, it’s a good bet the Sens will face Knight on Wednesday. We’ll know more after Wednesday’s skate.
For both teams this is the final game before Friday’s 3 pm trade deadline. To bring in an impactful player, the Senators would also need to move someone out to make it work with the cap. And they’re also a little shy right now on elite prospects and picks, so they’re not likely to withdraw from that account unless someone knocks their socks off.
So given all that, the Senators aren’t expected to make any splashy moves, but GM Steve Staios isn’t setting his phone on mute either. The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported earlier this week that the Senators may be exploring trade options for forward Josh Norris.
This may be the final game in Chicago for the Hawks’ hottest player, Ryan Donato. He’s having a career year and has eight points in his last five games. As someone who’ll be a 29-year-old UFA this summer and already 14 points past his previous career-high, Donato is widely seen as a sell-high trade chip.
This is the first of two meetings between the two clubs. Chicago is 17-3-1 in their last 21 games against the Senators, but that goes back to 2010. Most of the players in this game weren’t here five years ago, let alone 15.
Game time in Chicago is 7:30 p.m.
By Steve Warne (@SteveWarneMedia)
This article is from The Hockey News Ottawa. For more Sens coverage all season long, be sure to bookmark THN Ottawa
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