Sens Week Ahead: Feb 20 to 26
Sens hit the road again
TSN5
Prev game : @Islanders, Sunday, February 19th
Cold : John Moore - 0P in last 8 GP
Injured : Kyle Quincey (IR)
It’s back to Jersey, less than a week after the last visit. Since last Thursday, the Devils split a home and home against the Isles. The first, at home, they managed to pull out the win despite being out-shot 2:1. They didn’t play much better in Brooklyn, and came out with the loss.
They’re a team struggling to keep their head above water in the playoff race. They’re five points out, with one more game played than Toronto. More games played than three of the four teams between them and the last wild card spot too.
Between the last of their playoff hopes and the lopsided loss at Ottawa’s hands, New Jersey should be hungry for the win.
TSN5
Prev game : Penguins, Tuesday, February 21st
Cold : Victor Rask - 0P in last 13 GP
Injured : Bryan Bickell (IR)
The Carolina Hurricanes are crashing and burning, and hard. It’s been over two weeks since their last win, though that did include their “bye week”. In that stretch, they’ve let in 16 goals and scored only three - against the two teams with the highest goals against per game in the league.
They have a whopping FIVE players that haven’t put up a single point in over a month. In the net, Cam Ward continues to be his below-average self. Michael Leighton and Eddie Lack have been even worse in their limited time in net. That, along with a below average team shooting percentage, continues to be the story in Carolina year in and year out. The shooting percentage has climbed a little out of the basement this season though - if they ever got a decent goaltender they might turn into a team to worry about. But that’s not going to happen between now and Thursday.
Sportsnet
Prev game : Flames, Friday, February 24th
Cold : Michael Matheson - 0P in last 6 GP
Injured : -
Know all those jokes that have been made about the Sens catching up on the Habs? That’s the Panthers catching up on just about the entire division.
They’re in a three way tie for the hottest last 10 record in the league, and it’s vaulted them to a single point out of a playoff spot. They just finished sweeping California, never an easy task, and have scored at a pace in that stretch higher than 28 of 29 other teams.
Scoring has been somewhat the opposite of Carolina - rather than a bunch of players that haven’t put up points in awhile, the Panthers only have two players that have gone more than two games without getting on the board and a pair of players with five game point streaks.
This object definitely may be closer than they appear.