Two Eastern Conference foes are looking to get back in the win column on Tuesday night at Canadian Tire Centre.
The Sens (who have lost four of their last five) and Devils (who have lost five in a row) enter with records over .500, but out of playoff spots in an incredibly tight conference.
“Our desperation level needs to be high tonight, and we’ve got to play with urgency,” said Travis Green after morning skate on Tuesday. “You know when a team’s lost a few in a row, their desperation level’s going to be high as well. We’re going to have to be ready to go tonight.”
While Green said he’s liked the team’s game as of late, the hunger is unquestionably high in the room to turn the corner. “I think both teams are going to be desperate,” Tim Stützle agreed.
“I think we liked parts of our game, just didn’t really execute on our scoring opportunities… we’ve just got to find a way.”
Stützle skated with Fabian Zetterlund and Nick Cousins on the first line at practice on Tuesday, as Travis Green continues trying to find combos that click. Green did note that the lines seen at practice weren’t a guarantee to carry over to the game.
“That’s kind of been my M.O., I guess, if you want to say that, for the majority of my career,” said Cousins about sliding up and down the lineup.
The winger skated with Stützle and Drake Batherson on the first line back in late October, a stretch when he scored his first two goals of the season when the Sens blew out Boston and Washington in back-to-back games.
It’s those scoring, and more importantly, winning ways that Cousins is eager to help the Sens get back to. “We’ve got to stop the bleeding tonight, we’ve lost two in a row here,” said Cousins. “We have a game at home here to kind of claw back into the middle of things.”
“We hate losing, nobody wants to lose, everything is better when you win,” said Stützle. “We know what we have to do in this room to get back on track.”
