GAME DAY: Toronto Maple Leafs @ Ottawa Senators – 7:30PM EST, Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Ottawa (37-27-5, 79 pts, 2nd in the Northeast and 5th in the Eastern Conference) come home to host the Leafs (23-34-12, 58 pts, last in the Conference) Tuesday night, 7:30PM EST. Saturday night the Sens started slowly, trailing the high-octane Canucks 17-2 in shots on goal after 1. Only some amazing acrobatics from Elliott kept it close; in fact, a beautiful coast-to-coast goal from Jason Spezza tied the game at 1-1. Then the wheels came off as Vancouver scored short-handed, even-strength and one the power play, all in the space of 7 minutes. The Canucks skated away with a 5-1 victory, after scoring an insurance marker mid way through the third.

Read the full recap [http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2009021013]here[/url].

The Leafs are all but mathematically eliminated. As we all know too well, this is when they are at their most dangerous. I'd love to sit Alfie out, but he's chasing the 1,000 games milestone, and the party's already been planned.

Game Coverage
TV: SNET-O(HD), SNET-E
Radio: Team 1200
Web: check ATDHE.net and Justin.tv

Latest updates:
Foligno expected to suit up
Fisher is "doubtful" with an upper body injury.
Elliott to start.

Lineups

Ottawa
Toronto

Ottawa Key Injuries

F Nick Foligno (Broken leg, expected to play)
D Chris Campoli (lower body, will test his knee Tuesday morning)
Filip Kuba (lower body, questionable)
Mike Fisher (upper body, doubtful)

Leafs Key Injuries

Mike Van Ryn (knee surgery, rest of season)
Mike Komisarek (shoulder surgery, rest of season)
Fredrik Sjostrom (upper body, one more week)

Game Day Previews:

NHL.com
ESPN.com

ESPN Stats Comparison


Media Links:

Clouston speaks following morning skates: http://bit.ly/d0eptQ
Official Sens Twitter
SensTVOnline

GO SENS GO!!!

According to Sens Chirp, it's still too early in the season to call this a must win game...

I think this is absolutely a must win game. We have a lot of Dung to get in order, now would be a start against one of the crappiest teams in the league, there's zero excuse. Factor in that Foligno, Kuba and Campoli are all possible to play and we're back to full health.

I expect nothing less than a victory - and I expect to score goals. Anything less is a tremendous failure. IMO, the Sens season is at stake here, coast too much longer and we'll be starting on the road, a place that we cannot win. Get our act together and we could get hot at the right time.

I'm still holding out hope, but another game like the Canucks game and we'll start to be in deep, deep trouble.

Side-by-side stats added. Read that Campoli will test out his knee Tuesday morning, so that sounds like a game-day decision. Foligno is expected to play. That leaves Kuba, who has been "possible" the last three games. This is eerily reminiscent of his early-season injury -- the one that derailed Karlsson's Calder campaign.

Technically, no, it's not close to a must-win game, but I do share SD's sentiment. We not only need two points, we need our confidence back. Unfortunately I don't think the Leafs will necessarily oblige.

Wes Goldstein's power rankings are out, and the Habs are ahead of the Sens. Can't say I disagree. 6 games, 8 goals, 1 win. Those are ugly numbers. The Habs are ranked 10th, ahead of not only Ottawa, but Buffalo as well (again, I don't disagree).

Prolly not going to watch this one.

With the way they've been playing lately, I don't think I can handle another loss to the Leafs.

And no flu excuse this time.

Any word whats wrong with Fisher? I caught abit of tsn's thats hockey and it said he wont play tomorrow.

We're going to get the ball rolling tomorrow, usually I don't feel to optimistic against the Leafs (how sad is that?) but tomorrow is our night.

Bramlet07 wrote:Any word whats wrong with Fisher? I caught abit of tsn's thats hockey and it said he wont play tomorrow.

What? Really? I didn't hear anything. Intriguing, what a chance for Regin or Cullen. Wow.

So, Fisher out means that Winchester won't be scratched I guess?

Michalek - Spezza - Alfredsson
Foligno - Regin - Kovalev
Kelly - Cullen - Shannon
Ruutu - Winchester - Neil

I guess?

EDIT: Switch Regin and Cullen I would imagine.

I hear no Kuba, but we'll know tomorrow I guess. Diddle, do I ever miss Kuba, even with all his issues.

God, I just hope there's no "Carkner-Orr Round 4"

Big Ev wrote:God, I just hope there's no "Carkner-Orr Round 4"

Really? I kinda hope there is. Maybe Neil will come out and run him into the boards a couple of times, and then, when the shift is almost over, Carkner will have a go at him.

Carkner will just lose again. He isn't even fighting anymore because of Orr.