EDMONTON vs OTTAWA
When: 2/8/2021 7:00 PM
Where:

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: OTTAWA , EDMONTON

Oddsmakers currently have the EDMONTON listed as -180-moneyline favorites versus the OTTAWA, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.5.

Ottawa is counting on a goaltending turnaround against the high-powered Edmonton offense when the Senators host the Oilers on Monday.

The two teams are meeting for the third time in nine days, with the Oilers winning both previous contests. The first of those two victories was an 8-5 rout that marked the most goals Ottawa has conceded in a game this season.

Senators goalie Matt Murray was removed from that game after just 7:20 of play and three goals allowed on nine shots. It was the low point of a nightmarish start to the season that saw Murray post a .849 save percentage and 4.82 goals against average over his first seven outings.

Since that game against Edmonton, however, Murray seems to have righted the ship. The goaltender has a .943 save percentage over the Senators’ past two games — a 3-2 upset victory over the Canadiens on Thursday, and 2-1 loss in a rematch with Montreal on Saturday.

Ottawa forward Derek Stepan said he takes these performances against Montreal, one of the league’s better teams, as a positive sign.

“As a younger group and a group that is learning along the way here and gaining experience, I think a big thing is establishing an identity,” Stepan said. “Our last six periods, we’re starting to trend to the direction that we want, the way we want to play.”

The Oilers are looking to put their past two periods behind them. Edmonton held a 2-1 lead and a 17-3 shots advantage over the Calgary Flames through 20 minutes on Saturday yet ended up suffering a 6-4 loss.

“(The Flames) pushed back there in the second and our response wasn’t good enough,” defenseman Darnell Nurse said. “Then they got the upper hand, and we were chasing a little bit the rest of the game. We got a good start, but you’ve got to carry that into the second and third and find a way to put the nail in it.”

Connor McDavid (nine goals, 17 assists) and Leon Draisaitl (seven goals, 16 assists) are each on nine-game points streaks. McDavid is also on a run of seven consecutive games with at least two points.

Edmonton also has been getting offense from the blue line, as Nurse and Tyson Barrie each have 10 points in 13 games.

Oilers forward Gaetan Haas is questionable for Monday after missing Saturday’s game due to an undisclosed injury.

Considering Murray’s hot streak, he is the probable candidate to start on Monday. The Senators and Oilers play again on Tuesday, so backup Marcus Hogberg likely will be saved for the second game of the back-to-back.

Mike Smith could make his season debut during the two games in Ottawa, as the goalie has been at practice working his way back from injury. Mikko Koskinen has played in 12 of Edmonton’s 13 games with Smith absent, and the heavy workload is surely a factor in Koskinen struggling to a 3.55 GAA and .889 save percentage.

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MONTREAL vs OTTAWA
When: 2/6/2021 1:08 PM
Where:

TV: 1:08 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: OTTAWA , MONTREAL

Oddsmakers currently have the MONTREAL listed as -240-moneyline favorites versus the OTTAWA, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.5.

It has taken three weeks, but the Ottawa Senators finally have another chance to win back-to-back games.

They can do so with a second straight victory over the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Saturday afternoon.

Ottawa opened the season with a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 15. The Senators then went 0-8-1 until Thursday’s 3-2 victory at Montreal.

Ottawa has been one of the NHL’s most generous teams by allowing 50 goals this season but yielded its fewest thus far on the campaign against the Canadiens. Montreal is the league’s highest-scoring club by averaging 4.18 goals per contest.

“I just felt like as a team, the way these games have been going for us, it’s really frustrating and it’s not a lack of effort,” Senators goaltender Matt Murray said following his 36-save performance on Thursday. “We’re trying our best every night. It just seemed like we were fighting against everything.

“It felt good to get off that streak, and this will propel us in the right direction.”

Ottawa rookie Tim Stutzle, 19, has been heading in the right direction for a while now with a goal in three straight games. He also had two assists on Thursday. Stutzle is the second-youngest player in Senators’ history to record three or more points in a regular-season game (Alexandre Daigle, 18 years, 244 days), per NHL Public Relations.

“With every shift, every game I play, I get more confidence to make plays,” said Stutzle, the third overall draft pick in 2020.

“After the win, it’s a great feeling.”

Murray (2-4-1, 4.40 goals-against average) could be back in net for the Senators, who are playing their first home game since Jan. 21. Backup Marcus Hogberg (0-4-0, 4.54 GAA), though, could be in line for his fourth start of the season.

Either will try to help the Senators hand Montreal back-to-back losses for the first time in 2020-21. Thursday’s defeat marked just the second time this season that the Canadiens lost in regulation.

Josh Anderson scored for the third time in two games and seventh overall for the Canadiens, who admit they were outplayed all over the ice after owning an 11-5 goal advantage in sweeping Vancouver over the previous two contests.

“(The Senators) played a lot better than us,” said Montreal’s Nick Suzuki, who was held without a point for just the second time this season on Thursday.

“They were hard on the forecheck, and it didn’t look like we were prepared for that. So, as a team it’s got to be a lot better Saturday.”

The Canadiens’ Carey Price (4-1-2, 2.81 GAA) saw his three-game winning streak come to a halt after yielding three goals on 22 shots. He’s stopped 90 of 93 shots during a personal three-game winning stretch at Ottawa.

Jake Allen, who’s posted a 2.02 goals-against average and .930 save percentage while winning three of his first four starts for Montreal, could also get the nod on Saturday.

Four of Brendan Gallagher’s five goals on the season have come in the last six games for the Canadiens.

Defenseman Thomas Chabot, meanwhile, has two goals with two assists in the last three games for the Senators, who’s most recent home win over the Canadiens came on Oct. 20, 2018.

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OTTAWA vs EDMONTON
When: 1/31/2021 9:00 PM
Where:

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: EDMONTON , OTTAWA

Oddsmakers currently have the OTTAWA listed as 175-moneyline favorites versus the EDMONTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.5.

The Ottawa Senators are having a tough enough time keeping the puck out of their net and it may be even harder when they suit up for a road clash against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night.

Ottawa’s top defenseman Thomas Chabot is listed as day-to-day after he crashed into the net in Thursday’s loss in Vancouver. Chabot will do what he can to suit up, but Artem Zub will make his NHL debut if he can’t. The Senators are also without defenseman Christian Wolanin.

“We’ll see how he is in (Sunday) morning,” Senators coach D.J. Smith said after Saturday’s practice. “We’re hopeful he can, but, if he can’t, then Zub will do the job for us.”

The Oilers and Senators also meet on Tuesday.

The Senators were already in Edmonton and watched the Oilers claim a 4-3 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs to snap a two-game losing skid. Ottawa, which is in a complete rebuild, has lost seven straight (0-6-1) by a combined 33-12 since opening the season with a home victory over the Maple Leafs. The Senators are coming off a three-game manhandling at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks, who combined to beat them by a 16-3 margin in the trio of outings.

“We’re not putting pucks away and it’s hard to win games when you’re not scoring, but I feel we’re slowly starting to learn the type of identity we need to have,” forward Connor Brown said. “We’re getting lots of opportunities, lots of shots on goal, lots of o-zone time. We’ve got to stick with it and stay patient and we’ll get the bounces.”

For what it’s worth, the Senators have won six straight meetings in Edmonton and six of eight clashes with the Oilers.

That said, the Oilers are coming off an important win. They blew a 3-1 lead but won in extra time thanks to Connor McDavid’s second goal of the game. McDavid has collected multiple points in four consecutive games, including another highlight-reel, coast-to-coast goal.

“Oh man, that’s just what he does. Incredible. I think it’s the second time this year everyone was just in awe after he’s done something,” said defenseman Tyson Barrie.

The Oilers have struggled to build any winning streaks this season, but coming off an important victory and facing a struggling Senators team gives them an opportunity to cobble together a winning streak, and they know it.

“We needed one of those games to go in our favor,” coach Dave Tippett said. “We’ve been around it but there’s been a mistake there or there or finding ways to lose instead of finding ways to win. Hopefully it’s a step in the right direction.”

“Hopefully it’s a turning point for us and we can go on a tear,” Barrie added. “We have to find a way to string some together. It’s a quick turnaround and hopefully we can get it going against Ottawa.”

The Oilers did pay a price for the win, as defenseman Ethan Bear left the game and didn’t return. Since it’s the second half of games on back-to-back nights, it’s possible the Oilers will turn to Troy Grosenick in goal in place of Mikko Koskinen, who has played all 10 games for Edmonton to start this season. However, Tippett wouldn’t show his hand regarding his starting goalie for the clash.

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OTTAWA SENATORS vs NASHVILLE PREDATORS
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: NASHVILLE , OTTAWA

Oddsmakers currently have the OTTAWA listed as -111 moneyline favorites versus the NASHVILLE, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Nashville Predators hope the sweet sounds of Music City will alter their recent fortunes when they open a three-game homestand Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators. The Predators were left with a bitter taste in their mouth after surrendering 10 goals en route to dropping both ends of a Western Canadian road trip, but the team has won eight of its last 10 at Bridgestone Arena.

“This team is good at staying within the day. We’ve done a great job of not looking in the rear-view mirror,” Nashville forward Craig Smith said of seeing his team’s winless stretch on the road extend to six games (0-5-1) with Saturday’s 5-2 setback in Calgary. The 29-year-old scored against the Flames to boost his December point total to four (two goals, two assists) in four games after mustering five (two goals, three assists) in November. While Nashville has lost four of six overall, Ottawa has scored only seven goals during its last four contests (1-2-1) heading into the opener of a three-game road trip. Life away from Canada’s capital hasn’t been a bowl of cherries for the Senators, who are 3-9-1 on the road this season.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, RDS2, TSN5 (Ottawa), FS Tennessee (Nashville)

ABOUT THE SENATORS (13-14-4): Mark Stone boosted his team-leading goal (15) and point (35) totals after converting a one-timer from Colin White in the first period on Sunday’s 2-1 overtime loss to Boston. The 26-year-old has scored four goals and set up three others during his five-game point streak, while White has three points in his last three contests. Craig Anderson, who received a rare night off versus the Bruins, is expected back in net Tuesday and bids to improve upon a 5-9-4 mark with a 3.25 goals-against average in 21 career encounters with the Predators.

ABOUT THE PREDATORS (19-10-1): Captain Roman Josi has set up a goal in three straight games and has 10 assists in his last 12 as attempts to help Nashville locate some much-desired offense in lieu of injuries to Filip Forsberg (team-leading 14 goals), Viktor Arvidsson, Kyle Turris and fellow defenseman P.K. Subban. Colton Sissons has stepped up with goals in back-to-back contests while Ryan Johansen has four points (one goal, three assists) in his last four games. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Pekka Rinne has fared significantly better at home, posting a 9-3-0 mark with two shutouts and a 1.84 goals-against average.

OVERTIME

1. Ottawa LW Ryan Dzingel set up a pair of goals in a 4-3 overtime victory over Nashville on Feb. 8.

2. The Predators are 8-0-0 against Eastern Conference representatives while the Senators are 3-5-2 versus the West.

3. Ottawa D Thomas Chabot has recorded only nine of his club-best 25 assists on the road.

PREDICTION: Predators 4, Senators 1

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DETROIT RED WINGS vs OTTAWA SENATORS
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Thursday, November 15, 2018
Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: OTTAWA , DETROIT

Oddsmakers currently have the DETROIT listed as 110-moneyline favorites versus the OTTAWA, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Detroit Red Wings have reversed course from the dangerous path they traveled to start the season, answering a 1-7-2 stretch with seven wins in their last eight games. The white-hot Red Wings bid for their fifth consecutive victory on Thursday when they open a brief two-game road trip against the Ottawa Senators.

“Certainly, I think around the team, it’s more fun to come to the rink when you’ve won; there’s no doubt about it,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill told the Detroit News. Defenseman Mike Green scored a goal and set up two others in Tuesday’s 6-1 win over Arizona, boosting his point total to seven (one goal, six assists) in nine games since returning from a virus that attacked his liver. While the Red Wings are ascending, the Senators have fallen out of favor with a 3-6-2 mark in their last 11 games following Sunday’s 5-1 loss to Florida. “You guys make up whatever you want to say, but in here it’s to a man, to an individual. Everybody has got to step up their game and just believe in each other, believe in ourselves,” forward Ryan Dzingel said. “We’ve proven that we can do the right things for 20 minutes, 30 minutes, but it just doesn’t seem like we’ve put 60 minutes together for a while.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, RDS2, TSN5 (Ottawa)

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (8-8-2): Anthony Mantha followed up his two-goal performance in the third period of Saturday’s 4-3 shootout win over Carolina by opening the scoring against the Coyotes to move within one tally of 50 for his young career. “Obviously it’s again and again, confidence level,” the 24-year-old Mantha said after Wednesday’s practice. “As soon as you get one, maybe the touch is a little bit easier around the net and then you got a two-goal game.” Speedy Andreas Athanasiou (team co-leading seven goals) has scored and set up a goal in three straight games since returning from a lower-body injury.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (7-8-3): Dzingel scored in his fourth straight contest on Sunday to increase his team-leading goal total to nine while pushing his point streak to five games, during which he has four goals and two assists. Chris Tierney set up Dzingel’s power-play goal for his fifth assist in five contests and 14th overall this season to reside three behind defenseman Thomas Chabot for top honors in that department. Colin White departed Sunday’s game against Florida with an undisclosed injury, although coach Guy Boucher expects the forward to be on the ice versus Detroit.

OVERTIME

1. Detroit G Jimmy Howard will bid for his first six-game winning streak since Jan. 12-23, 2012.

2. Ottawa G Craig Anderson’s goals-against average at home (3.35) is a full goal less than on the road (4.38).

3. Red Wings LW Thomas Vanek (lower body) and D Jonathan Ericsson (lower body) have been ruled out versus the Senators as well as Saturday’s tilt against New Jersey, according to Blashill.

PREDICTION: Senators 4, Red Wings 2

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VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS vs OTTAWA SENATORS
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Thursday, November 8, 2018
Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: OTTAWA , VEGAS

Oddsmakers currently have the VEGAS listed as -150-moneyline favorites versus the OTTAWA, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

The Ottawa Senators rebounded from an embarrassing viral video and put a significantly better performance on tape, scoring a season-high seven goals for just their second win in eight outings. The Senators aim to complete a three-game homestand on a positive note Thursday when the Vegas Golden Knights pay a visit to Canadian Tire Centre.

Matt Duchene set up three goals as Ottawa breezed to a 7-3 win over New Jersey on Tuesday in the wake of a video clip depicting seven players – including Duchene himself – insulting assistant coach Martin Raymond during an Uber ride. “I want to take this opportunity to extend my absolute sincere apologies to Marty Raymond,” the 27-year-old Duchene said, per the Ottawa Citizen. “He is a heck of a person, and coach, and he didn’t deserve what we said.” Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore extended his assist streak to four games by setting up Cody Eakin’s second-period goal during Tuesday’s 3-1 setback at Toronto. Jonathan Marchessault has been held off the scoresheet in back-to-back contests following a three-game point streak that began with his goal on a penalty shot in overtime of a 4-3 win against the Senators on Oct. 28.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountains (Vegas), RDS2, TSN5 (Ottawa)

ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS (6-8-1): Erik Haula sustained a gruesome right leg injury when he was hit by Maple Leafs forward Patrick Marleau along the side boards, resulting in the 27-year-old Finn being removed from the ice on a stretcher. Coach Gerard Gallant told reporters on Wednesday that Haula will remain with the team but won’t play in the remaining three games of the road trip. Haula, who posted career highs in goals (29), assists (26) and points (55) last season, had been playing on the second line in place of an injured Paul Stastny (lower body).

ABOUT THE SENATORS (6-6-3): Thomas Chabot pushed his point streak to four games after scoring a goal and setting up two others against the Devils. The 21-year-old Quebec native certainly has stepped in up the absence of the former captain Erik Karlsson, leading all NHL defensemen in assists (16) and points (20) this season. Mark Stone is hot on his heels in regard to the team lead, as he recorded five points (two goals, three assists) versus the Devils to give him 10 during his four-game point streak and 18 overall.

OVERTIME

1. Vegas RW Alex Tuch has three goals in three career meetings with Ottawa, including two last month.

2. Senators G Craig Anderson, who had 49 saves in the previous encounter versus the Golden Knights, will draw the start despite exiting Tuesday’s tilt for an undisclosed reason.

3. All four of Eakin’s goals this season have been scored against Eastern Conference representatives.

PREDICTION: Golden Knights 4, Senators 2

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NEW JERSEY DEVILS vs OTTAWA SENATORS
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: OTTAWA , NEW JERSEY

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW JERSEY listed as -140-moneyline favorites versus the OTTAWA, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The New Jersey Devils earned a much-needed two points last time out and look to conclude their first set of back-to-back games of the campaign with a pair of victories when they visit the struggling Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. Brian Boyle recorded his first career hat trick as the Devils won 5-1 at Pittsburgh on Monday after dropping six of their previous seven contests (1-5-1).

Defenseman Will Butcher registered a season-high three points in the triumph for New Jersey, which had been outscored 15-6 while losing its previous three contests, and captain Andy Greene blocked four shots while making his 800th NHL appearance. The Senators, who have earned at least one point in their last six matchups (4-0-2) against the Devils, have faded since a strong start to the season – registering just one win in their last seven contests (1-4-2) after a dispiriting 4-3 overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday. Ottawa surrendered a goal with 33 seconds left in regulation against the Eastern Conference-leading Lightning before giving up the winner just 14 ticks into the extra session. “As a group, collectively, we’ve got to take some ownership for our play and our results,” Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki told reporters. “It’s been a few too many years here for us where the players haven’t taken ownership. … We’re going through a rough patch here, and this is where it’s a true test of our personalities and a true test of the group we have in here.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New Jersey), TSN5, RDS2 (Ottawa)

ABOUT THE DEVILS (6-5-1): Kyle Palmieri set up a goal to increase his team-leading total to 15 points while reigning Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall notched his team-best 12th assist in Monday’s victory. Former third-round pick Joey Anderson recorded his first NHL point with an assist in his third game and Marcus Johansson registered his 200th career assist. Keith Kinkaid made 35 saves to post his sixth win of the season on Monday, which could give Cory Schneider (0-1-0, 3.24 goals-against average, .913 save percentage) the crease in Ottawa, but coach John Hynes reportedly has not committed to a starter.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (5-6-3): Ottawa has yielded at least four goals in six of its last seven contests after recording three straight victories and is last in the league in goals allowed at 4.21 per game. Defenseman Thomas Chabot has collected four assists in his last three contests to push his team-leading total to 17 points and Mark Stone (99 career goals) has set up five goals in the same span to rank second with 13. Ottawa’s defense corps is averaging one goal per game and rookie blue-liner Maxime Lajoie scored on Sunday to pull even with Ryan Dzingel for the team lead with five tallies.

OVERTIME

1. Ottawa LW Mikkel Boedker has recorded an assist in three straight contests after enduring a four-game point drought.

2. New Jersey C Travis Zajac is one assist shy of 300 for his career.

3. The Senators are 4-for-9 on the power play over their last three games and ranked fifth in the league (27.3 percent) through Sunday.

PREDICTION: Devils 4, Senators 3

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TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING vs OTTAWA SENATORS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Sunday, November 4, 2018
Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: OTTAWA , TAMPA BAY

Oddsmakers currently have the TAMPA BAY listed as -220-moneyline favorites versus the OTTAWA, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

Captain Steven Stamkos looks to build off his first multi-goal performance of the season as the Tampa Bay Lightning aim to stay unbeaten against Eastern Conference rivals when they visit the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. Stamkos doubled his goal total for the season with a pair in Saturday’s 4-1 win at Montreal while the Lightning improved to 6-0-0 against the East and 3-0-0 versus Atlantic Division foes.

The line of Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov (two assists) and J.T. Miller (goal) rebounded by accounting for five points against Montreal after being blanked by Nashville while producing a minus-7 rating in Thursday’s 4-1 loss. The Senators, who have gotten off to a solid start at home (4-2-1) but must rebound from an embarrassing 9-2 loss at Buffalo on Saturday, have allowed an average of 42.8 shots over their last five games. “It was just an all-around ugly game,” Ottawa defenseman Cody Ceci told reporters after the setback that gave the teams a split in their home-and-home series. “We didn’t start off great. We just gave up too many chances – Grade A chances. … It just goes to show, if you don’t show up to an NHL game, the other team is going to take advantage of you.” The Senators earned at least one point in three of their four meetings with the Lightning last season while scoring a total of 20 goals, with Ryan Dzingel recording four of them.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), Sportsnet, TVA (Ottawa)

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (9-3-1): Tampa Bay, which struggled on the penalty kill most of last season, continues to shine in that category after going 4-for-4 against Montreal to improve its success rate to a league-best 93.9 percent (46-for-49). Brayden Point posted an assist on Saturday to maintain his team lead with 15 points while Kucherov, who has registered eight goals and 16 assists in 20 career games against Ottawa, moved within one. Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 34 shots in Saturday’s triumph for his seventh win of the season but likely will give way to backup Louis Domingue (2-1-0) on Sunday.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (5-6-2): Craig Anderson was pulled in the first period after allowing three goals on seven shots and backup Mike McKenna was victimized for six tallies, leaving Sunday’s starter in question. Defenseman Thomas Chabot posted an assist in Saturday’s loss to give him a team-high 14 points for Ottawa, which has surrendered a power-play goal in eight consecutive games. Mark Stone (11 points) has recorded three assists in his last two contests but has been stuck on 99 career goals since scoring twice against Montreal on Oct. 20.

OVERTIME

1. Ottawa D Mark Borowiecki is eligible to return to the lineup after serving a three-game suspension for an illegal hit.

2. Tampa Bay D Victor Hedman has been skating and made the trip but is expected to miss his fifth straight contest.

3. Senators LW Max McCormick scored his first goal of the season Saturday while registering a season-high three shots.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Senators 2

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BUFFALO SABRES vs OTTAWA SENATORS
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Thursday, November 1, 2018
Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: OTTAWA , BUFFALO

Oddsmakers currently have the BUFFALO listed as -120-moneyline favorites versus the OTTAWA, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Buffalo Sabres look to extend their point streak to six games and rebound from a disappointing performance when they visit the fading Ottawa Senators in the first of a home-and-home set Thursday night. The Sabres are 3-0-2 in their last five outings and completed their best October (6-4-2) since 2011-12 when they went 6-4-0, but gave up 38 shots as Calgary rallied for a 2-1 overtime victory Tuesday.

“We obviously have to close games out,” Buffalo goalie Carter Hutton told reporters of the Sabres, who lost their last two games in overtime. “We played with fire too many times and they made us pay (Tuesday).” Buffalo finished last in goals scored last season and is still struggling to score (2.58 per game, 26th in the league), but Ottawa is tied for last in the NHL at four goals against per contest. The Senators have dropped four straight games (0-3-1) while allowing 19 goals combined after suffering a 5-1 setback at Arizona on Tuesday, following a promising start with points in five of the first seven contests this season. “We got out-competed in the first period,” Ottawa coach Guy Boucher told reporters after Tuesday’s loss. “That doesn’t usually happen. That’s the one thing we’ve had from the beginning.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG Buffalo, RDS2, TSN5 (Ottawa)

ABOUT THE SABRES (6-4-2): Veteran right wing Jason Pominville is slated to play his 1,000th NHL game Thursday and has at least a point in five straight contests – including three multi-point efforts – to reach 500 with Buffalo and tie Danny Gare for ninth on the team’s all-time list. Captain Jack Eichel had the only goal for Buffalo on Tuesday and tied fellow forward Jeff Skinner (club-best six goals) for the team lead with 12 points. Defenseman Jake McCabe (one goal, six assists) missed the last game with an upper-body injury and is questionable for the matchup in Ottawa.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (4-5-2): Left wing Alex Formenton scored his first NHL goal Tuesday and center Chris Tierney added an assist to reach 11 points – tied for second on the team with Matt Duchene behind defenseman Thomas Chabot (13). Backup goalie Mike Condon was pulled in the first period Tuesday after giving up three goals on 11 shots and was placed on waivers one day later. Defenseman Mark Borowiecki will serve the second contest of a three-game suspension for an illegal hit and blue liner Ben Harpur (back) is out, giving Christian Wolanin a chance to make his 2018-19 debut Tuesday.

OVERTIME

1. Ottawa RW Mark Stone needs one goal to reach 100 in his career and is tied with Duchene, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel for the team lead at four.

2. Buffalo D Rasmus Ristolainen leads the Sabres in ice time per game (25:16), but owns a team-worst minus-10 rating.

3. The Senators have gained a point in three straight meetings with Buffalo (2-0-1) after dropping four in a row in the series.

PREDICTION: Sabres 4, Senators 3

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OTTAWA vs SAN JOSE
When: 10:00 PM  ET, Saturday, December 9, 2017
Where: SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, California

TV: 10:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: SAN JOSE , OTTAWA

Oddsmakers currently have the OTTAWA listed as 150-moneyline favorites versus the SAN JOSE, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

After making a little history in a thrilling win, the San Jose Sharks will try to end a home losing streak against a team that arguably has been one of the league’s biggest disappointments this season.

San Jose looks to avoid its fourth straight loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night at SAP Center.

The Sharks haven’t beaten the Senators at home since Oct. 12, 2013, giving up 12 goals during the skid. San Jose has also allowed at least one power-play goal in eight straight home games to the Senators dating to March 7, 2002.

This season, Ottawa has one of the weaker power-play units, converting 16.7 percent of their chances (17 of 102). San Jose owns one of the NHL’s top penalty-killing units, killing off 78 of 90 short-handed situations.

On Thursday, San Jose (15-10-2) opened a three-game homestand by erasing two three-goal deficits and topping the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 on Brent Burns’ even-strength goal 22 seconds into overtime.

For the first time in franchise history, the Sharks had two power-play goals and two short-handed goals in the same game.

“I figured we would push back. We usually do,” San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said. “There’s a lot of character in that room, a lot of proud guys. When we’ve been in that spot before we usually push back, and we did tonight. … That’s not the way you draw it up to start the game. We dug ourselves out of a hole. You got to win all kinds of ways in this league over 82 games.”

The goal was Burns’ second of the season. He notched a league high for defensemen with 29 en route to his first Norris Trophy last season. In 10 career games against Ottawa, he has four goals and six assists.

Even though Martin Jones beat the Hurricanes, he is 1-2-0 with a 4.32 goals-against average and .866 save percentage this month. Jones also lost in his only career home start to the Senators on Dec. 7, 2016, stopping 13 of 16 shots.

Aaron Dell, who has never faced Ottawa, surrendered two goals on 63 shots while winning each of his last two starts.

Ottawa (9-11-7), which took the Pittsburgh Penguins to double overtime in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final last season, is ahead of only the league-worst Buffalo Sabres in the conference.

The Senators hit the ice for the sixth game of a seven-game road trip after a 4-3 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. After Ryan Dzingel tied the score with 10 seconds to play in regulation, Mike Condon surrendered the winning goal to Drew Doughty at the 32-second mark.

Ottawa battled back from three one-goal deficits to come away with a point. And even though they’re mired in a 1-8-2 slide, the Senators are surprisingly upbeat.

“We played assertive (against Los Angeles), we played not afraid to lose and we played on our toes,” forward Matt Duchene told the Ottawa Citizen. “There was a lot of really good things. … We have to find a way to build on it in San Jose. We play like we did (Thursday) in 10 games, we’re going to win seven or eight of them.”

Duchene posted a goal and an assist for his first multipoint game since being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche as part of a three-team deal last month. In 13 games with his new club, the third overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft has just two goals and two assists. He has never picked up more than one point in any of 11 career matchups in northern California.

Neither of Ottawa’s goaltenders have fared particularly well in San Jose. Craig Anderson has lost four of six career games and Mike Condon is 1-1-0 but has yielded eight goals on 73 shots.

Anderson is 0-6-0 with a 3.04 GAA in eight games (seven starts) since Nov. 16. Condon, who made 34 saves against the Kings on Thursday, is 1-2-2 with a 3.56 GAA in five games (four starts) since Nov. 18.

It could be a night of career milestones for players on both teams.

For San Jose, Logan Couture needs two points to reach 400. Couture leads the team in goals (14), short-handed goals (two) and points (22). He has two goals and an assist in a three-game points streak versus Ottawa.

Joel Ward is one point short of 300. He has four goals and three assists in 22 games.

Justin Braun needs two assists for 100. He’s tied for third on the team with 10, and has contributed points in six of his last eight games.

Ottawa’s Derrick Brassard needs one point for 400, and Alexandre Burrows is one assist short of 200.

Brassard has six goals and 11 assists in 27 games this season. He has registered five assists in 12 career games at the Shark Tank.

Burrows, who had his 200th NHL goal on Oct. 19 against the New Jersey Devils, has six goals and eight assists in 22 career games in San Jose.

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