6 replies to this topic

[DRodger91]

PICK YOUR WINNER HERE!!!

[DRodger91]

@

 

February 23, 2013

Scotia Bank Place, Ottawa, Ontario Canada

 

Game Preview
 

Craig Anderson has carried the Ottawa Senators, but they'll likely have to find someone else to lift the team for the near future.

The
goaltender has a sprained right ankle and is expected to miss the
Senators' attempt at a season-high fourth straight win Saturday night
against the surging Toronto Maple Leafs.

Before suffering his
injury in Thursday's 3-2 shootout win over the New York Rangers,
Anderson had a league-best 1.49 goals-against average and was one of six
netminders with multiple shutouts.

His efforts helped Ottawa get
off to a solid start while compensating for a scoring attack that was
among the league's least effective with 2.3 goals per game. Anderson
will reportedly sit out three to four days.

The Senators (10-6-2) are already without reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, who will miss the season while recovering from a lacerated Achilles tendon. Veteran center Jason Spezza (back), Milan Michalek (knee), Peter Regin (chest), Guillaume Latendresse (whiplash) and Jared Cowen (hip) are also among the injured.

"It's
the last thing we need. (Anderson has) basically been the heart and
soul of our team, or at least a large part of it," defenseman Marc Methot said. "It's unfortunate, but it's the luck we're getting right now as a team."

With Anderson out, the Senators will likely lean on Ben Bishop, who had a 2.29 GAA in three starts before allowing two goals on 13 shots in relief Thursday.

Bishop gave up three goals on 18 shots in his only game against Toronto, a 3-1 defeat March 17, while the recently recalled Robin Lehner made 23 saves in his lone matchup, a 3-2 victory Oct. 30, 2011.

Whoever
starts will try to end the team's three-game skid to the rival Maple
Leafs (11-7-0). Ben Scrivens outdueled Anderson by stopping 34 shots in a
3-0 home victory last Saturday.

Scrivens has started five
straight games with James Reimer dealing with a knee injury and made 31
saves in Toronto's seventh victory in nine contests, 3-1 over Buffalo on
Thursday. The first of James van Riemsdyk's two goals broke a 1-all tie
in the second period.

Scrivens is 3-1-0 with a 1.32 GAA over his
last four games. He gave up four goals in a loss at Tampa Bay on Tuesday
before rebounding against Buffalo.

"You just try to go out and
give the team the best chance to win," Scrivens said. "You do that by
making sure you can see pucks and trying as hard as you can."

Toronto,
7-3-0 on the road, will seek its seventh win in nine visits to Ottawa.
The Maple Leafs have won four times in their last five games there, but
the Senators are 7-1-2 at home and will try for their first four-game
win streak on their own ice since Dec. 30, 2011-Jan. 8, 2012.

Phil
Kessel has six goals and eight assists in his last 10 matchups with the
Senators, and 11 goals and seven assists in his past 15 visits to
Ottawa.

Tyler Bozak, who scored in last weekend's victory, has six goals and four assists in his last 10 games against the Senators.

 

Starting Goalies

VS

Both goalies confirmed

[DRodger91]

GO SENS GO!

[Munchausen]

So can Leaf fans post here?

Seriously though, nice game shaping up here. No shutouts in danger now. 

Didn't know Bishop was so big. Well, tall actually. Let's see how much he can turn into width. Wonder if anybody in the Sens dressing room said "Yeah, good idea! Bishop should go." ala Hudson in Aliens.

 

Has Kadri always been this chippy or is this something he discovered in Tampa?

[DRodger91]

So can Leaf fans post here?
Seriously though, nice game shaping up here. No shutouts in danger now.
Didn't know Bishop was so big. Well, tall actually. Let's see how much he can turn into width. Wonder if anybody in the Sens dressing room said "Yeah, good idea! Bishop should go." ala Hudson in Aliens.

Has Kadri always been this chippy or is this something he discovered in Tampa?

It is a good game going, which isn't a good thing for the Leafs if you ask me. But anyway, yeah I think he has always been quite chippy, but he will eventually meet the player that chips back, they always do!

[Munchausen]

Well, he isn't Tootoo or Kaspiritis yet. 

Your guys don't look like they're missing Spezza unless you were expecting the score to be 3-1 by now. Our Russians are the only ones making constant impact as of late. 

Getting tense talk later.

[DRodger91]

Big win for the Sens! That's 4 in a row!