The set up:
The first Battle of Ontario is at our feet and both sides are looking to pick up crucial divisional points!
Ottawa comes into tonight looking to right the ship having dropped four of their last five games. While they have been battling their fair share of adversity including injuries to Thomas Chabot, Erik Brannstrom, Artem Zub, Ridly Greig and Mark Kastelic, they haven't been a group to make excuses. That said the team is on the verge of getting a key piece back as Zub has been participating in full contact practice this week and will be a game-time decision tonight.
Whether they have Zub available or not expect the Sens to come out with a new energy as they spent the last two practices trying out different drills. Working on battling and skating hard, the theme of these practices was high energy from start to finish, expect that to carry over to tonight's game.
Toronto enters this contest fresh off a big comeback effort against Tampa Bay. After falling behind 4-1 after the first they scored four straight to take a 5-4 lead before Tampa Bay drew even with 2:24 to play. Calle Jarnkrok played hero in ovetime scoring the winner just 46 seconds into extra time.
The key tonight for Ottawa will be slowing down the Maple Leafs four-headed monster in Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares who have 18, 17, 16 and 12 points respectively. Matthews leads the way on the scoring front with thirteen goals in 10 contests including three hattricks. An easier said than done test slowing down that offence but the Senators will be up to the test as they look to get back in the win column.
