Sharks at Senators
The Ottawa Senators hope to rebound from a rough road trip when they return home Wednesday night to face the San Jose Sharks – the only team they beat on the recent four-game trek. The Senators surrendered 19 goals on the trip, including nine in losses to Los Angeles and Anaheim over the weekend after beating San Jose for the fifth straight time Dec. 7.
Ottawa coach Guy Boucher told reporters the 5-1 loss on Sunday at Anaheim was a “no show, all around," and the Senators went through a spirited practice Tuesday. “We’re not going to try and make excuses,” Ottawa center Derick Brassard told reporters. “We’re going to take the loss and get better as a team Wednesday against San Jose.” The Sharks rallied from two goals down in the third period before edging Toronto 3-2 in a shootout Tuesday for their fifth victory in seven games. Captain Joe Pavelski and defenseman Brent Burns each hit the scoresheet and boast five points in the last five contests for San Jose, which is in the middle of a four-game trip that still includes Montreal and Chicago.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN California (San Jose), TVAS, Sportsnet (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE SHARKS (17-11-1): Defenseman Justin Braun recorded his first goal of the season with 7:17 left Tuesday before Pavelski’s power-play tally tied it just 2:07 later and the Sharks were successful in their first shootout opportunity of the season. Logan Couture, who has eight goals in his last 13 games, was blanked by Toronto but converted the only chance in the shootout. David Schlemko returned to the lineup after missing three straight games with a lower-body injury while fellow defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (lower-body) sat out and is questionable for Wednesday.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (16-11-2): Ottawa’s penalty kill has been a major issue the last three games, giving up seven goals to drop to a tie for 22nd in the league (80.2 percent) entering Tuesday. “We have to do a little better job of being in lanes, clearing rebounds,” defenseman Erik Karlsson, who leads the team with 27 points, told reporters. “Maybe we have to adapt a little bit, change something. … We need to find a way.” Mike Condon is expected to be in net with No. 1 goalie Craig Anderson away from the team while tending to his wife, who is undergoing cancer treatments.
OVERTIME
1. Karlsson had three points in the Dec. 7 game against the Sharks and boasts five goals and seven assists in 10 career games versus San Jose.
2. San Jose F Joe Thornton has 487 career power-play points and needs one to pass Pierre Turgeon for 16th in NHL history.
3. Ottawa D Mark Borowiecki will serve the second of a two-game suspension for an illegal hit against Los Angeles.