Game 68 Hub: Colorado Avalanche @ Ottawa Senators
Can the Sens end their 1-game losing streak?
The Sens saw their six-game winning streak end on Tuesday in Montreal. The first loss in seven games wouldn't be such a big deal if it weren't for two factors: we hate the Habs and Montreal is chasing Ottawa for one of the wild card spots. Still, Ottawa's very much in the driver's seat, four points above Montreal for the second wild card spot, and five points ahead of the Rangers with two games in hand.
The Sens have a chance to keep pushing for the playoffs tonight, albeit against one of the best teams in the league. The Avs are 8-1-1 in their last 10, and are maybe the only team in the league that could trade a Mikko Rantanen-calibre player and still have two generational players on the roster. The Avs did play in Toronto last night and lost, so at least Ottawa will have the rest advantage, and we all know that rest is a weapon.
The Sens' roster is unchanged from Tuesday's game, meaning that Nick Jensen is still out and Linus Ullmark is the starting goalie once again.
Our squad tonight 👊#GoSensGo | @UpperDeckSports pic.twitter.com/XLdPaTb4tL
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 20, 2025
With the Avs having played last night, the Sens will get backup goalie Scott Wedgewood, who has won his last four games.
Avalanche lines vs Senators:
— Hockey Updates (@32HockeyUpdates) March 20, 2025
Lehkonen - MacKinnon - Necas
Drouin -Nelson -Nichushkin
Kiviranta - Coyle - Colton
Wood -Drury - Vesey
Toews -Makar
Lindgren -Malinski
Middleton - Girard
Wedgewood
Blackwood
O'Connor, Kelly and Johnson scratched.#GoAvsGo
Things to watch:
- You may forget that these two teams played each other way back on October 27. The Avs were the better team all game, but then the Sens made it interesting late in a 5-4 Colorado win.
- Dylan Cozens has 5 points in 6 games as a Senator, along with 26 hits. Maybe more critically, Drake Batherson has 6 points and 20 hits in the same span. It was easy to forget that Batherson is 6'3" and 200 lbs, but it seems like bringing in his old buddy has encouraged him to start throwing the body around again.
- Tuesday's game was the first time since February 8 against the Panthers that Linus Ullmark allowed more than one goal in the second half of a game. He's been weirdly average to start games and then lights-out at the end for more than a month now.
- It's more than a little wild how good the Avs are at both generating and suppressing offence. The front office did a good job of at least going out and getting competent goaltending to complement how good they are everywhere else.
- It's a little sad that Parker Kelly is a scratch tonight. He played 177 games for the Sens and deserved at least a small TV timeout tribute.
- Game starts at 7 pm, with TV coverage on TSN5 and RDS2.
Team Stats (via NHL.com and NaturalStatTrick.com):
Player Stats:
