Senators at Maple Leafs
The Ottawa Senators are trying to stay in the hunt for the final playoff slot in the Eastern Conference, but Saturday's matchup at the Toronto Maple Leafs will feature a more prominent storyline. All eyes will be on Senators defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who returns to Toronto for the first time since last month's blockbuster trade.
Phaneuf spent parts of seven seasons with the Maple Leafs and served as the team captain since 2010-11 up until last month's stunning nine-player deal between the provincial rivals. “I’m not sure, I’ll give you the honest answer,” Phaneuf told reporters Friday when asked what kind of reception he expected from fans at the Air Canada Centre. "We’ll see (Saturday) night how I’m received, but my focus is here and how we’ve got to get our game back to the level we’re capable of.” Ottawa has lost three of four (1-2-1) to drop to 5-5-1 since the acquisition of Phaneuf, but it has won both meetings with Toronto this season. The Maple Leafs, who have the fewest points in the league, will be attempting to halt a four-game losing streak.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBC, TVA Sports 2, NHL.TV
ABOUT THE SENATORS (30-28-4): Goaltender Craig Anderson sustained a knee injury in Tuesday's shootout loss to St. Louis and has already ruled himself for the weekend games versus Toronto and Dallas, putting Andrew Hammond in line for his second straight start. Hammond, who last season became the second netminder in history to allow two goals or fewer in his first 12 career starts, is having a rough go in his second season. He is 0-4-1 in his last seven appearances, allowing at least three goals on five occasions, and is seeking his first win since Jan. 4.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (21-32-10): Toronto has scored only five goals during its four-game skid and has notched only two wins in its last 13 games (2-10-1). Following the trade of goaltender James Reimer to the San Jose Sharks, rookie Garrett Sparks has turned in two solid performances since his recall from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, but he has nothing to show for it as the Maple Leafs dropped 2-1 decisions to Minnesota and Tampa Bay. Forward Nazem Kadri has seven points in his last seven games overall and has tallied nine times in 17 games versus Ottawa.
OVERTIME
1. Senators captain Erik Karlsson has seven assists in the two matchups versus the Maple Leafs this season.
2. Toronto is 0-for-8 on the power play over its past four games.
3. Senators D Mark Borowiecki injured his right knee Thursday and is listed as week-to-week.