Game 72 Hub: Ottawa Senators vs Chicago Blackhawks

When taking on a division rival, the Ottawa Senators more often than not are determined to prove they're a force to be reckoned with.

However, they haven't figured out that simply beating these teams isn't enough – they have to win against other teams as well. Such a simple concept, that has yet to be understood.

Throughout my time as a hockey fan, I've seen the Chicago Blackhawks go from the best team in the league to the worst, and yet the results for the Sens have always been sad – 11 straight losses dating back to their last win in December of 2016. Remember 2010? The Brian Elliott stick save on Marian Hossa, and the Peter Regin wraparound goal on Cristobal Huet? That was four wins ago.

Tyler Kleven has been recalled and will replace the injured Thomas Chabot in the lineup. For now, the only other sure thing regarding the lineup tonight is that Anton Forsberg will start.

Game Notes:

• The 4th line got the ball rolling yesterday, which is a nice change of pace. Boris Katchouk has helped out with 3 points in 10 games, which isn't great but still better than what we've had in the past.
• Kleven's put together a nice AHL rookie season with 17 points in 45 games. He leads the team with a +13 rating, and his 35 PIMs rank better than Lassi Thomson, Jacob Larsson, and Donovan Sebrango.
• As expected, Connor Bedard is leading the way offensively in Chicago, but longtime bottom-six player Jason Dickinson has also chipped in with his first career 20-goal season.
• Tonight's 7:00 pm EST game is available on Sportsn-nah, just kidding. RDS2, TSN5, and TSN 1200.

Stats: