Maple Leafs at Senators
The Ottawa Senators need a miraculous finish and plenty of help to get back in the playoff hunt after a 1-3-2 start to March, capped by a 6-2 loss at Florida on Thursday. The defensively challenged Senators will attempt to avoid falling deeper into the hole when they host the league-worst Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Ottawa has allowed 29 goals while winning twice in the last eight games (2-4-2) and Thursday’s loss was an example of how it has been going. “I thought we got a real good start. Then we got stubborn and that stubbornness has been killing us all year,” Senators coach Dave Cameron told reporters. “We force things when it’s low percentage. The puck ends up in the back of your net, you’re chasing the game. …” The Maple Leafs are looking toward the future and come in off a 4-3 shootout victory over the New York Islanders on Wednesday. Rookies Nikita Soshnikov, William Nylander and Zach Hyman each have two goals in six games since being called up by Toronto.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBC, TVAS2
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (22-33-11): Soshnikov had the shootout-winning goal Wednesday after Nylander tied the game late in regulation and defenseman Morgan Rielly, another prime prospect, tallied for the seventh time in his third season - one shy of his career high. Center Nazem Kadri recorded a pair of assists against the Islanders to move into the team lead with 37 points – one better than Leo Komarov, who has only one in nine games. The Maple Leafs are 4-for-10 on the power play and 6-for-6 on the penalty kill over the last three contests.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (31-30-8): Goaltender Craig Anderson returned after a four-game absence to allow six goals Thursday and his normally productive team has managed to score 10 times in five contests. Captain Erik Karlsson, who leads all defensemen in the league with 70 points, had a goal and an assist against Florida but has a minus-6 rating in six games this month. Mark Stone has four points in four games while Mike Hoffman (no points, six games) and Mika Zibanejad (no points, five games) have gone cold.
OVERTIME
1. The Senators won the first three contests in the four-game season series and have earned points in seven straight games against the Leafs (5-0-2).
2. Toronto D Rinat Valiev was recalled Friday and could make his NHL debut.
3. Ottawa veteran C Scott Gomez has registered one point and six shots on goal in five games since being signed as a free agent.