In the midst of an eight-game losing streak, the Ottawa Senators (15-23-5) are looking to finally turn the tide, when they begin their California road trip tonight by taking on the Anaheim Ducks (19-17-7).

Ottawa was defeated most recently by the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, when the power of The Surge was enough to chase Marcus Hogberg, and the Sens lost 5-4.

The Ducks, meanwhile are on an eight-game losing streak of their own, most recently falling to the Edmonton Oilers 4-0, also on Sunday.

Puck drop is scheduled for 10:00ET, and you can catch this one on TSN5, RDS, and on Fox Sports Prime Ticket for our friends south of the border. As always, Dean Brown and Gord Wilson will have the call on TSN1200, and Anaheim’s AM 830 will also feature a radio broadcast.

The Senators will, in a bold move not often seen in the NHL, go 12-6 tonight. Matt Duchene will likely not be in the lineup until next week, as he and his wife Ashley are expecting the birth of their first child. Anders Nilsson gets the start tonight.

Expect the Ottawa lineup to look something like this:

Game Notes:

• With Guy Boucher not running 7D tonight Christian Wolanin will be the odd man out. This makes no sense, as Wolanin is on a three-game point streak, and has seen a steady increase in ice-time over the past few contests. He’s quickly becoming one of Ottawa’s better point men, and should not have to take a backseat to Ben Harpur or Mark Borowiecki.
• After yet another hand-related scare against the Canes, Bobby Ryan told the media he’s completely fine, and only a little sore. Keep an eye on his mitts tonight.
• Guy Boucher said Ottawa expects to have Craig Anderson, Matt Duchene, and Thomas Chabot back next week. Obviously those three won’t propel the Senators into playoff contention, but they’ll definitely be a boost to a depleted lineup.
• Having lost eight in a row, and seeing the prospect of playoff contention slip away, the Ducks are likely getting desperate. Don’t be surprised if a ninth straight loss tonight, to the last-placed Senators, spells the end for head coach Randy Carlyle.
• Anaheim held an optional morning skate today, with goaltender John Gibson electing not to take part. Expect to see him between the pipes tonight.
• The Ducks probable line combinations and pairings can be found at LeftWingLock.com/

As always, here are some stats. Courtesy of NHL.com and Natural Stat Trick:

Team Stats

Player Stats