Avalanche at Senators
The Ottawa Senators didn't make a big splash at Wednesday's trade deadline, but they appear to be in good shape as they continue their pursuit of an Atlantic Division title Thursday against the struggling Colorado Avalanche. Ottawa's biggest moves were acquiring Viktor Stalberg from Carolina on Tuesday and Alex Burrows from Vancouver on Monday, and both are expected to be in the lineup with Burrows already receiving a two-year contract extension worth $2.5 million per season.
"It's a Canadian city, a Canadian market and I like their team and I really believe they have a shot at winning,'' Burrows, who waived his no-trade clause, told reporters. "Their window is just opening right now. They have a lot of pieces. They seem to have a total buy in of what (coach) Guy Boucher is selling." Burrows, who spent the first 12 years of his career with the Canucks, and Stalberg - playing for his sixth team in eight years, each have nine goals this season. Ottawa is tied for second with Boston in the Atlantic Division, six points behind Montreal with three games in hand on the Canadiens and two on the Bruins after completing a 2-2-0 road trip with a 5-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday. Colorado traded 39-year-old forward Jarome Iginla (619 career goals, eight this season) to Los Angeles on Wednesday for a conditional draft pick.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), RDS2, TSN5 (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (17-41-3): Colorado began a three-game road trip with a 4-0 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday and is 2-8-1 in its last 11 games as it hits the homestretch of the worst full season in Avalanche history. Nathan MacKinnon, who was deemed untouchable by general manager Joe Sakic leading up to the trade deadline, leads the team with 41 points but hasn't added to his goal total of 12 in the last 12 games. Top defenseman Erik Johnson recorded an assist and averaged 18:35 of ice time in two games since missing 36 with a broken leg.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (33-22-6): With right wing Bobby Ryan (12 goals, 24 points) out for perhaps the rest of the regular season with a broken finger, Burrows and Stalberg provide depth up front for a club that scored seven goals in its last five games. Kyle Turris (team high-tying 22 goals, 44 points) scored in the last two games and three of the last four contests while two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson (club-most 55 points) has three assists in his last two games. Mark Stone (22 goals, 47 points) was kept off the scoresheet in two games since missing a pair with a neck injury while Mike Hoffman (19 goals, 41 points) has a goal and three assists in his last five games and is one score shy of recording his third consecutive 20-goal season.
OVERTIME
1. Burrows scored 117 of his 193 career goals in a four-season stretch (2008-12) and has 54 in four-plus seasons since.
2. Colorado is 0-for-16 on the power play in its last seven games.
3. Ottawa acquired D Jyrki Jokipakka (goal, five assists in 38 games this season) from Calgary on Wednesday. Jokipakka last played for the Flames on Feb. 5.