Game Day 5: OTT at VAN

The set up:

The Senators kick off their second five-game road trip in the last month tonight against Vancouver. Looking to avenge the 5-2 loss Vancouver dealt at Canadian Tire Centre back on Nov. 9, the Senators will have their work cut out for them against on the NHL's best teams.

Winners in three of their last four, the Senators will look to continue their attack from all angles approach prioritizing controlling the neutral zone and being aggressive in the offensive zone. Slowing down Vancouver's offence is easier said than doen, but having Thomas Chabot back in the fold makes the task much more manageable.

Vancouver hardly needs an introduction as the number one offence (3.78 GF/G) and number three defence (2.56 GA/G) in the NHL coming into tonight. The Canucks will look to bounce back after Philadelphia ended their nine-game point streak in their last outing. Led by J.T. Miller (48), Quinn Hughes (45), Elias Pettersson (43), and Brock Boeser (38), all over one point per game this season, this Vancouver team can score in bunches. The Senators will be tasked with slowing Hughes down who is currently on a four-game point streak.

Roster report:

There will be no changes to the roster since the last game against Buffalo, meaning that Erik Brännström will line up as a left winger again tonight. Below is how the Senators lined up at morning practice:

Who to watch:

For the second straight game Erik Brännström will be lining up as a forward. In his postgame media availability following the Senators win over the Sabres, Jacques Martin described Brännström as a soldier who will do anything for this team, and that night he showed it.

While he was playing in an uncomfortable position as he mentioned he hadn't played forward in about 14 years, you never would have guessed it the way he was playing all night long. In his 15:13 on the ice, Brännström provided a spark to the fourth line and set up Mark Kastelic for his first goal of the season. He followed that up with almost scored an incredible spinning goal of his own late in the third period. 

Brännström has long been lauded for his offensive ability as a defenceman, and while we don't imagine this will be a long-term switch, it is fun watching him showcase a different part of his game.

Depth scoring:

Over the Senators last four games they have looked like a different team picking up three wins along the way. One of the keys to their success has been that they haven't relied on the heroics of any one player. In their last three wins they have gotten contributions from 11 different players with no one scoring more than two goals. 

"I thought our depth players did a really good job, actually they were the big factor of our win. It's good confidence for them and confidence for me as a coach to be able to use them in different situations." - Jacques Martin on depth players impacting the win

When playing a team as good as Vancouver, who has the leagues best offence and third best defence, the Senators will need to have all players moving in the same direction if they hope to avenge their loss from earlier this season.

Where to watch:

Tonight's game will be carried live on TSN5 and RDS2 in English and French respectively. Additionally, TSN1200 and Unique FM 94,5 have you covered on the radio with the English and French calls.