Game 57 Preview + Open Thread: Ottawa Senators @ Carolina Hurricanes

The Sens have had a long break since their 3-1 loss against the Boston Bruins. It was a good effort by the team but ultimately, the Bruins proved to be too much for the tired Sens.

While they are well rested for tonight’s showdown, the Hurricanes are no easy opponent. They are first in their division with a 9-1-0 record in their last 10 games including a 4-game  winning streak. The Sens are 7-2-1 in their last 10 with every point being crucial at this point.

The out of town scoreboard didn’t always go our way this past week but we had some help and, with the Capitals seemingly weaker now, the Sens suddenly seem to have an opportunity. The Sens are currently 6 points out of that last wildcard spot with a game in hand and battling the Capitals, Penguins, Islanders, Panthers and Sabres.

The other impact of the next few games will be the direction Dorion takes at the deadline, get a few wins and the Sens are buyers or they can easily become sellers if they don’t get a string of wins in the next few games.

Nick Holden will be back in the lineup and the Sens will get back some veteran presence in net as Cam Talbot is expected to make his return. The full projected lineup:

Thursday practice lines from Carolina.

Tkachuk Stützle Giroux
DeBrincat Pinto Batherson
Brassard Greig Gauthier
Joseph Gambrell Watson
Kelly

Chabot Zub
Sanderson Hamonic
Brannstrom Holden

— TSN 1200 (@TSN1200) February 23, 2023

Game Notes

• Every game is a must win at this point, but a win against the Canes tonight would be good for the team’s confidence and somewhat of an assurance that this team can play to the level of high-caliber teams.
• Will Cam Talbot be rusty or well-rested? The Sens will likely need a top performance from him tonight.
• The Sens need their special teams to be perfect tonight. The Sens PP is 4th in the league but the Canes PK is 5th in the league so the Sens need to make sure they are well set up and creative.
• It feels like an Alex Debrincat big performance kind of night, don’t you think?
• You can watch the game at 7PM on TSN5, RDS2 or Listen Live at Team 1200/

Game Stats

Player Stats

Team Stats