Senators at Flyers
The Ottawa Senators look to complete a monumental surge into the playoffs when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon in the regular-season finale for both teams. Posting an impressive 22-4-4 record in their last 30 games, the Senators can gain a postseason berth by either recording at least one point against the Flyers or having Boston fall to Tampa Bay later in the day.
"I think this is probably very improbable," Andrew Hammond said after making 26 saves in a 3-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday. "The good thing is myself and the team included have just taken it one game at a time. As big of a hill as it has been to climb, I don't think anyone has been overwhelmed at any stage." Hammond has been nothing short of phenomenal since making his NHL debut, posting a 19-1-2 mark with a 1.82 goals-against average and .939 save percentage in 23 appearances. While Ottawa still can clinch third place in the Atlantic Division with a win on Saturday and a regulation loss by Detroit to Carolina, Philadelphia is playing out the string despite going 4-1-3 in its last eight contests.
TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, TSN5, RDS2 (Ottawa), CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE SENATORS (42-26-13): Hammond's heroics aside, Ottawa also has benefited from the consistent scoring of several key cogs. "I've never been on a run like this with a hockey team, and it's been special," said Clarke MacArthur, who collected a goal and an assist on Thursday to extend his point streak to six games. Kyle Turris also scored and set up a tally versus the Rangers to increase his point run to five contests while Mark Stone is riding an eight-game streak during which he has scored six goals and set up five others to mark the longest by a rookie in franchise history.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (33-30-18): Jakub Voracek has enjoyed a career season with 81 points, but the individual accomplishments are clouded with Philadelphia's impending absence from the playoffs for the second time in three campaigns. "I don't think there can be any satisfaction if we are out of the playoffs," Voracek said. "We would like our last game to have a meaning." The 25-year-old Czech is fourth in the league in scoring with 81 points, three behind co-leaders Sidney Crosby of Pittsburgh and John Tavares of the New York Islanders.
OVERTIME
1. Each team has secured a 2-1 shootout victory over the other this season.
2. Senators C Jean-Gabriel Pageau has scored in back-to-back contests and also tallied in his team's victory over the Flyers on March 15.
3. Ottawa has thwarted all nine short-handed situations over its last four games while Philadelphia has yielded a power-play goal in each of its last three.