Maple Leafs at Senators
The Ottawa Senators attempt to avoid a season sweep in the Battle of Ontario when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night in a matchup of two teams playing out the string. Although the Senators are seeking their fourth straight win, they have lost six in a row to the Maple Leafs - including all three meetings this season. There is widespread speculation that coach Paul MacLean could be gone after Ottawa failed to make the postseason for only the third time since 1996.
The Maple Leafs have already started overhauling the franchise by naming NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan as their team president and alternate governor. The appointment, which will go into effect immediately, comes on the heels of a staggering collapse by Toronto, which plummeted out of postseason contention by losing its final eight games in March. The Maple Leafs are riding a three-game skid and will be out of the playoffs for the eighth time in nine seasons.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, CBC
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (38-35-8): Career minor-leaguer Drew MacIntyre made his first NHL start at age 30 and made 33 saves in a 4-2 setback - Toronto's 11th defeat in 13 games. Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle was not happy with how his team played in front of MacIntyre and called it a "very challenging time right now for our group mentally." Phil Kessel needs one goal to establish a career-high total of 38 and the Senators are a favored opponent - he has 25 goals in 45 games against Ottawa, including five tallies in the last six meetings.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (35-31-14): Mika Zibanejad has been ruled out of the final two games after he exited Thursday's contest versus New Jersey with an undisclosed injury and was taken to the hospital for what was termed precautionary reasons. MacLean shed few details on the nature of Zibanejad's injury following Friday's practice, aside from denying a report that the soon-to-be 21-year-old collapsed. Zibanejad, who will undergo further testing, had scored three goals in his final six games and assisted on Ottawa's lone tally in Thursday's shootout victory.
OVERTIME
1. Senators G Craig Anderson, who has made at least 45 saves in four of his last 13 starts, has allowed 12 goals in three outings versus Toronto this season.
2. Maple Leafs G James Reimer has endured a rocky season but is 9-1-1 with three shutouts in 12 starts against the Senators.
3. Ottawa's only victory in the last 10 meetings was a 3-2 home win on Feb. 23, 2013.