Game Day 5: OTT at STL

The set up:

We're kicking off our five-game pre-Christmas road trip tonight in the Gateway to the West as the Senators are set to face the St. Louis Blues. These are two teams looking to turn the tide here tonight.

St. Louis is on a four-game losing streak, having dropped games to the Golden Knights, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, and Red Wings. Tonight will be their first game under interim head coach Drew Bannister and they will look to make an impression. Sitting just one point out of a playoff spot right now, the Blues pose a real test to the Senators as they get this crucial five-game road trip under way.

The Senators look to rebound following a disappointing game against the Hurricanes on Tuesday. They will look to regain some of the momentum from the five games before then that D.J. Smith has called the best 15 periods of hockey the team has played all season. During that stretch the group confidently beat the Kraken, the (at the time league leading) Rangers, and the Red Wings, and they had a really strong outing against the Maple Leafs where they mounted a comeback effort that came just short.

This game may come down to a battle of special teams, and if that's the case the Senators may have the edge. St. Louis boasts the second worst power play in the NHL, converting just 8.4% of their man advatages this season. The Senators will look to regain their footing on the penalty kill which was trending upwards having gone 11/13 over the previous four games leading up to Carolina where they went 0/2.

Roster report:

the Senators recalled defenceman Jacob Larsson yesterday morning and re-assigned forward Jiri Smejkal in a corresponding move. Additionally, head coach D.J. Smith mentioned that Mark Kastelic will be rejoining the line up tonight after being out with a high ankle sprain since Nov 2. Below is how the Senators skated in morning practice:

Who to watch:

Though it isn't his first game back in the city that he spent most of 11 seasons playing in, it's still surely a game that Vladimir Tarasenko had circled on the calendar when the season started. This will be the first time back since choosing to sign with the Sens in the offseason. Tarasenko scored 262 goals and added 291 assists for 553 points in his 644 games in a Blues uniform, which rank fifth, seventh and fifth respectively in Blues history. Not too shabby to say the least.

In his first season as a Senator, Tarasenko has been a huge addition already tallying six goals and thirteen assists in just 23 games, nearly a point per game pace. He has filled any role that D.J. Smith has asked of him as it seems that anyone he plays alongside has an elevation in their game. 

In his first game back to Enterprise Center last season as a member of the Rangers, Tarasenko scored a goal and added an assist though it was the Blues who got the 3-2 win in the end. Tarasenko and the rest of the Sens will look to make his second trip back to the city that drafted him a different story here tonight.

Homecoming:

The Senators only come to St. Louis once a year but it's surely always a game captain Brady Tkachuk has circled on his calendar. Brady grew up in St. Louis and cheered for his hometown team initially because it was his dad's team but on retirement just as a fan watching his favourite players, such as his now teammate Vladimir Tarasenko.

Tonight will only be the fourth time Brady will lace up his skates with the Sens at Enterprise Center. In those three previous outings he has scored a goal and added an assist while going 1-2-0. There is sure to be a Tkachuk cheering section at Enterprise Center tonight

Where to watch:

Tonight's game can be found live on TSN5 and RDS in English and French respectively. Additionally, TSN1200 and Unique FM 94,5 have you covered on the radio with the English and French calls.