The Ottawa Senators are refusing to go quietly. They had a dominant 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in another instalment of the Battle of Ontario on Saturday night. Which now pulls them within three points of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Here is the latest news and rumours surrounding the team.
The Senators’ Playoff Push
The Ottawa Senators are once again playing in meaningful games in the final 13 games of the season. With 81 points and 13 games left on the schedule, the team is breathing down the necks of the Detroit Red Wings. The win over Toronto was exactly what they needed, but the real test starts now.
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The upcoming week is arguably the most important stretch of the season. It kicks off with a tough matchup against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Monday, followed immediately by a massive showdown in Detroit on Tuesday. If the Senators can sweep the back-to-back, they could find themselves in a playoff spot by Wednesday morning. They then take on the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and Saturday. It is a razor-thin margin for error, but with a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games, the momentum is clearly on their side.
Jake Sanderson Set to Return Soon
The best news for the blue line is that help is on the way. Head coach Travis Green confirmed before the Toronto game that star defenceman Jake Sanderson is expected to return to the lineup in the next seven-10 days. Sanderson has been sidelined since March 8 with an upper-body injury, and his absence has been felt, especially with the allocation of ice time, he is known to log big minutes per night.
Sanderson leads the team in ice time, averaging nearly 25 minutes a night, and was having a career year with 48 points before going down. While Thomas Chabot and the pairing of Jordan Spence and Tyler Kleven have done a good job keeping things afloat, getting their number-one defenceman back for the final 13 games of the season will have a huge impact on the roster.
Dennis Gilbert’s Injury Adds to Battered Blue Line
While Sanderson is close to returning, the defensive depth took another hit on Saturday night. Dennis Gilbert, who has been a reliable physical presence on the third pair since being recalled, was forced to leave the game late in the third period. Gilbert was drilled into the boards by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and appeared to be in significant pain before heading straight to the tunnel, looking like he potentially separated his shoulder.
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Following the game, Green was blunt, stating that Gilbert is likely going to be out a while. It is a tough break for a player who had just started to find his rhythm in the lineup. With him out and Nick Jensen already sidelined long-term after knee surgery, the Senators are back to a next man up mentality as they head down the stretch. Expect to see Nicolas Matinpalo or potentially a fresh face from the Belleville Senators get a chance in the lineup for the trip to New York.
