Game Day Notes: Game #25 - Sens vs. Bruins

Get set for tonight's 7 p.m. puck drop at Canadian Tire Centre with a look at the Sens' projected line-up, starting goaltender and more before they play host to the Boston Bruins.

Brown benefitting from opportunities in Ottawa

With 10 games under his belt this season, Sens rookie centre Logan Brown is excited to continue his development in the best league in the world.
"I'm definitely starting to get more comfortable in the NHL," said Brown. "Having the opportunity to play on the power play or with skilled wingers for an extended period of time has had a huge impact. I'm gaining confidence every game and I think that's starting to translate on the ice."
Under head coach D.J. Smith, Brown seems to have earned a slightly longer leash than most young players trying to find their footing in the NHL and has regularly been put in situations that play to his strengths. Look no further than his current linemates Brady Tkachuk and Anthony Duclair who each bring something complementary to the table.
"I've always liked playing with players that have a different skillset from my own," he said. "Brady brings some toughness and grit around the net and Duclair can score from anywhere on the ice so with me being more of a "pass first" player I think we all complement each other really well."

As a young player in the NHL, Brown is looking forward to tonight's difficult match-up as well as the opportunity to help spark the team's offence after being blanked by Columbus in their last outing.
"It'll be exciting to play against Boston," Brown said. "They're first place in the league for a reason so it'll be a tough test for us but we're looking to bounce back after putting up a goose egg in our last game on Monday."

Projected line-up

The Sens have a pair of skaters back in their line-up tonight while another pair inch their way closer to a return from injuries. For starters, Erik Brannstrom checks back in on the blueline against the Bruins after missing the last 4 games with an injury and is excited to face one of the league's top teams in his first game in nearly two weeks.
"They have a really good team with good depth," said Brannstrom this morning. "We just have to play our game which we've done well recently and stick to our game plan for 60 minutes."
Max Veronneau will also be back in the line-up tonight and will replace Mikkel Boedker on the fourth line. Veronneau has skated in 3 games with the Senators this year and will get another opportunity to register his first point of the season against the Bruins.
On the injury front, both Vladislav Namestnikov and Artem Anisimov appear to be nearing a return from their respective issues and Smith echoed that short timeline during his post-skate media availability.
"Namestnikov and Anisimov are both really close," said the coach. "They'll play probably sometime this weekend."

Here's a look at the Sens' projected lines and pairings tonight against Boston:
Tkachuk - L. Brown - Duclair
Paul - Pageau - C. Brown
Ennis - Tierney - White
Chlapik - Beaudin - Veronneau
Chabot - Hainsey
Borowiecki - Zaitsev
Brannstrom - DeMelo

In goal

Anders Nilsson (7-4-1) gets the call in net tonight but the decision was a little more default than previous games as it was announced that Craig Anderson would not dress versus the Bruins after sustaining a minor injury on Monday night in Columbus.
"It's more precautionary," Smith said about Anderson missing tonight's game. "It was just a light tweak that didn't bother him while he was warm but then as he cooled down after the game it bothered a little more so don't expect this to be long-term. It's better to be safe than sorry."
As a result the Sens have recalled Marcus Hogberg from Belleville and he'll act as Nilsson's back-up against the Bruins.

Where to watch

It's a 7 p.m. start at Canadian Tire Centre tonight and here's how you can watch all the action between the Sens and Bruins...
BROADCAST: Sportsnet 360, TVAS
TICKETS:
ottsens.com/SensTicketHub
RADIO:
TSN 1200
,
94,5 Unique FM
Can't make it to the rink? Then why not grab some friends and head over to the RA Centre (2451 Riverside Dr.) where they'll be serving up 20oz drafts of Molson Canadian for just $6.25 (plus tax) all game long.