Maple Leafs at Senators
The Ottawa Senators are searching for answers in the defensive end of the rink as their playoff hopes continue to fade away. The Senators, who allow a league-worst 3.15 goals per game through Thursday, are desperate for points after losing five of the last six contests as they prepare to host the improving Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
Ottawa stood six points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference going into Friday’s games and are in danger of falling below .500 for the first time this season. “It seems like everything we’re trying to do right ends up going wrong,” Senators goalie Andrew Hammond told reporters. “There’s things that we’re working on in practice and right now it’s just not translating.” Toronto won’t be an easy mark for Ottawa after winning its last two games, including a 3-2 shootout victory over New Jersey on Thursday. Leafs goalie James Reimer stopped 71-of-76 shots in the last two games and is among the league leaders with a .932 save percentage.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One (Toronto), RDS and TSN5 (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (19-22-9): Tyler Bozak snapped a 15-game goal drought by tallying in Thursday’s victory and stands second on the team with 31 points behind All-Star Leo Komarov (33). “I thought (Bozak) had the puck all night (Thursday) and was good. … I still think he can be way better,” Toronto coach Mike Babcock, who coached his 1,000th game Thursday, told reporters. “We need him to be consistently competitive like he was (against New Jersey).” Nazem Kadri recorded three goals in the last five contests.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (23-23-6): While Ottawa has yielded 38 goals in its last seven losses and allows a league-worst 33.2 shots per game, the Senators are in the top third of the league on the other end of the ice. Erik Karlsson leads the team and all defensemen in the league with 55 points - boasting 10 in the last eight contests. Mike Hoffman registered his team-leading 23rd goal in Thursday’s 7-2 loss against Edmonton and Mark Stone has tallied in two straight since the All-Star break, but Ottawa has given up 16 in three straight defeats.
OVERTIME
1. The Senators have allowed nine power-play goals in the last six outings and the Maple Leafs are 3-for-56 with the man advantage in a 17-game span.
2. Toronto RW P.A. Parenteau, who could be trade bait later this month, has 12 goals and is on pace to match his best season in 2010-11 (20).
3. Ottawa has points in five straight against the Maple Leafs (3-0-2), including a 5-4 shootout win Oct. 10.