The Senators enter tonight’s game on the tail end of a back-to-back following their game at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was a team effort from top to bottom, with Drake Batherson, Jake Sanderson and Ridly Greig scoring goals while Linus Ullmark posted a .933% save percentage with 28 saves.
This isn’t the first time the Senators have faced the Penguins in a back-to-back. In fact, all three of their meetings this season come either in the first or second game of a back-to-back weekend.
Their first meeting came on December 14 following the Senators’ 3-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes the night before. The Senators ended up defeating the Penguins by a score of 3-2 in overtime. Thomas Chabot and Drake Batherson both scored for the Senators alongside Brady Tkachuk who recorded the game winner. In net, Linus Ullmark made 25 saves on his way to a .926% save percentage.
The next game against the Penguins came on January 11, this time on the road. The Senators won in dominant fashion by a score of 5-0. Shane Pinto scored twice alongside Drake Batherson, Tyler Kleven and Tim Stützle who each had a goal of their own. Claude Giroux had a three-assist night, while Leevi Meriläinen recorded a shutout in net.
The Penguins come into tonight on a three-game losing skid. Most recently, they fell to the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 7-3 on Thursday.
The Senators will face a motivated Pittsburgh team desperate to avoid their fourth loss in a row and will need to fight fatigue from playing less than 24 hours prior. Ottawa has found success in back-to-backs this season, and will look to replicate that tonight.
