Game 63 Hub: Red Wings @ Senators

Every one of the last 20 games for the Ottawa Senators this season will be meaningful. But tonight's game will be even more meaningful, as the Detroit Red Wings are in town to face the Senators, and they are one of several teams not far behind Ottawa in the playoff race. It's going to be a bloodbath to see who makes it in, but as it stands, the Senators are in a solid position as they control their own destiny. The two teams have been going in opposite directions for the past few games, as the Senators are now 3-0-1 in their last four games, whereas the Red Wings have lost five in a row.

Detroit sits three points back of Ottawa with one more game played, so they won't be able to leapfrog the Senators tonight, but a regulation win for Ottawa would give them a five-point lead and a game in hand, so that'd be phenomenal. Here are tonight's projected lines, with Dennis Gilbert being a placeholder for Nick Jensen:

And this is what Detroit was practicing with, although Dylan Larkin will be slotting in:

Game Notes:

• Tonight will be Fabian Zetterlund's debut as an Ottawa Senator. The 25-year-old shouldn't be viewed as a saviour, but his 17 goals rank fourth on the team, so his goal-scoring ability is a welcomed addition. He starts on the fourth line, which I don't love, but I bet he'll be moved up soon.
• The Senators have gone to overtime three games in a row—a 5-4 shootout loss to the Capitals, a 4-3 overtime win against the Blackhawks, and a 4-3 overtime win against the Rangers. I hope they can get it done in regulation this time to save our hearts.
• The two previous matches between these teams this season were incredibly close. Josh Norris scored in the dying minutes to win 2-1 at home, and Patrick Kane scored in overtime to win 3-2 in Detroit.
• Captain Brady Tkachuk has been on fire since he came back from injury. In four games, he has five goals (one in overtime), 19 shots, and 17 high-danger chances. I'd say those two games off to rest have been worth it so far. I hope he can give more of these electric interviews after home games too.
• Linus Ullmark will get his eighth straight start for the Senators tonight. He only has an .893 SV% over the past four games but Ottawa has 7/8 points in that span. If anything, it just shows that if he returns to his regular form, they could be even more dangerous.

Player Stats:

Team Stats: