Game Day - Florida @ Ottawa, 7:30PM, Thursday, October 27, 2011

VS
Who: Florida Panthers @ Ottawa Senators
When: Thursday, October 27, 2011 @ 7:30PM
Where: Watch it on Sportsnet in the Ottawa region

Ottawa (4-5-0)

The Senators are riding a 3 game winning streak, coming off their latest win on the road in North Carolina, beating the Hurricane 3-2 in the shootout. This will be their first game played since re-assigning rookie Mika Zibanejad (1 assist, -3, 2PIMs in 9 games) to Djurgardens of the SEL.

Jason Spezza is tied for 2nd in the league with 12 points, while Erik Karlsson's 8 assists ties with with five others for the league lead.

Captain Daniel Alfredsson returns to the line-up after sitting out Tuesday's game with a hip-flexor injury.

The Sens sit 3rd in the Northeast division, and rank 11th in the conference.

Team Leaders:

Goals: Milan Michalek (6)
Assists: Erik Karlsson (8)
Points: Jason Spezza (12)
+/-: Peter Regin (3)
PIMs: Chris Neil (46)

Dash's Players-to-Watch:

Jason Spezza has 25 (8-17) points in 29 career games vs. Florida.

Craig Anderson is 4-0-1-1 with a 1.98 GAA and a .938 SV% in his 6 starts vs. Florida, the team he spent 3 seasons with from '06-'09.

Starting Line-up:

Colin Greening - Jason Spezza - Milan Michalek
Nick Foligno - Stephane Da Costa - Daniel Alfredsson
Kaspars Daugavins - Zack Smith - Chris Neil
Erik Condra - Zenon Konopka - Jesse Winchester

Chris Phillips - David Rundblad
Filip Kuba - Erik Karlsson
Sergei Gonchar - Jared Cowen

Craig Anderson

Injuries:

Bobby Butler, Matt Carkner, Peter Regin

Florida(5-3-0)

The Panthers have won their past two games, their latest defeating Montreal 2-1. One of the most active teams in the off-season, Florida's new additions are paying dividends for the team. New acquisitions Kris Versteeg and Brian Campbell are leading in goals/points and assists respectively.

A couple of players make their hometown returns of sorts for the Panthers. Rookie defenceman Erik Gudbranson (3rd overall pick in 2010) from Orleans and forward Matt Bradley (Stittsville) as well as former Ottawa 67 Brian Campbel, will all surely will feel at home in the Nation's capital.

Rookie Goalie Jakob Markstrom was honoured with the NHL's 1st star on Monday after making 40-saves in only his 2nd NHL start in the 2-1 victory over Montreal.

Florida is currently 2nd in the Southeast division and 6th in the conference.

Team Leaders:

Goals: Kris Versteeg (4)
Assists: Brian Campbell (7)
Points: Kris Versteeg (9)
+/-: Mike Weaver (5)
PIMs: Erik Gudbranson (24)

Dash's Players-to-Watch:

Brian Campbell has 18 (4-14) points in 42 games vs. Ottawa.

Erik Gudbranson (-4) makes his first appearance against his hometown team, and has yet to register a point, but leads his team with 24 penalty minutes.

Starting Line-up:

Tomas Fleischmann - Stephen Weiss - Kris Versteeg
Scottie Upshall - Marcel Goc - Tomas Kopecky
Shawn Matthias - Tim Kennedy - Matt Bradley
Marco Sturm - Mike Santorelli - Jack Skille

Ed Jovanovski - Erik Gudbranson
Brian Campbell - Jason Garrison
Mike Weaver - Dmitry Kulikov

Jacob Markstrom

Injuries:

Sean Bergenheim, Scott Clemmensen

Sens lines:

Colin Greening — Jason Spezza — Milan Michalek
Nick Foligno — Stephane Da Costa — Daniel Alfredsson
Kaspars Daugavins — Zack Smith — Chris Neil
Erik Condra — Zenon Konopka — Jesse Winchester

Kuba — Karlsson
Cowen — Gonchar
Phillips — Rundblad

Anderson

Brian Lee and Bobby Butler (who is ready to return from his groin injury) are the healthy scratches, while Craig Anderson starts in goal.

Game Day updates: http://www.senatorsextra.com/main/regin-out-6-8-weeks-with-shoulder-injury

Dash wrote:
Team Leaders:

Goals: Milan Michalek (5)
Assists: Erik Karlsson (7)
Points: Karlsson, Spezza, Michalek (8)
+/-: Peter Regin (+3)
PIMs: Chris Neil (36)

Where'd you get those stats, Dash? Michalek has 6 goals, EK has 8 assists, Spezza has 12 points, MM has 10, and EK has 9. Neil has 46 PIM.

I was in the process of editing, hadn't gotten around to changing it yet. Just wanted to get the thread up so it was there, and I am slowly modifying it section by section.

spader wrote:

Dash wrote:
Team Leaders:

Goals: Milan Michalek (5)
Assists: Erik Karlsson (7)
Points: Karlsson, Spezza, Michalek (8)
+/-: Peter Regin (+3)
PIMs: Chris Neil (36)

Where'd you get those stats, Dash? Michalek has 6 goals, EK has 8 assists, Spezza has 12 points, MM has 10, and EK has 9. Neil has 46 PIM.

Also, Chris Neil leads the team (and league) in WIN.

Gudbranson is sticking with Florida, and Markstrom is supposed to start in net, as Theodore is still slightly injured. Markstrom is GOOD.

Ok, done editing. Added starting line-ups (thanks Shabbs) for both Ottawa and Florida. Both goalies confirmed to start.

Predictions for tonight's game?

I am predicting a 4-3 Panthers win. I am 4-4 on the season so far in terms of predictions (correctly predicted losses to Detroit, Toronto, Washington and Philly, was wrong on Minnessota, Colorado, and Carolina). I was undecided on Columbus, having suspected it could go either way, but will give it an incorrect guess. I predicted the Sens would either go 3-9 or 4-8, and they are currently 4-5.

The panel at SenatorsExtra have predicted 5-3 in favour of the Sens winning.

Dash wrote:Ok, done editing. Added starting line-ups (thanks Shabbs) for both Ottawa and Florida. Both goalies confirmed to start.

Predictions for tonight's game?

I am predicting a 4-3 Panthers win. I am 4-4 on the season so far in terms of predictions (correctly predicted losses to Detroit, Toronto, Washington and Philly, was wrong on Minnessota, Colorado, and Carolina). I was undecided on Columbus, having suspected it could go either way, but will give it an incorrect guess. I predicted the Sens would either go 3-9 or 4-8, and they are currently 4-5.

The panel at SenatorsExtra have predicted 5-3 in favour of the Sens winning.

I'd expect nothing less from an Avs/Philly/Carolina/Florida fan.

Good luck to your team!

Shut the Diddle up already.

Dash wrote:Shut the Diddle up already.

That was kind of mean. But good luck to your team just the same.

Dash wrote:Ok, done editing. Added starting line-ups (thanks Shabbs) for both Ottawa and Florida. Both goalies confirmed to start.

Predictions for tonight's game?

I am predicting a 4-3 Panthers win. I am 4-4 on the season so far in terms of predictions (correctly predicted losses to Detroit, Toronto, Washington and Philly, was wrong on Minnessota, Colorado, and Carolina). I was undecided on Columbus, having suspected it could go either way, but will give it an incorrect guess. I predicted the Sens would either go 3-9 or 4-8, and they are currently 4-5.

The panel at SenatorsExtra have predicted 5-3 in favour of the Sens winning.

So your predictions have been horrible. You can't get half your predictions wrong, then have their overall record guessed correctly, and claim a victory!!!!

Of course, what can I expect from a Panthers fan.

Well you are "kind of " annoying. You seem to feel the need to question my team loyalties when I say another team is better and likely will win, but I don't see you question anyone else for making predictions in favour of the other team, or for criticizing players that play for the team.

If it is okay as a fan of the team to criticize players on that team as a fan, does it mean if they criticize players on another team that they are a fan of that team too? Also by your logic if I predict the Sens will win, does that mean I am actually a fan of the opposing team?

tim1_2 wrote:

Dash wrote:Ok, done editing. Added starting line-ups (thanks Shabbs) for both Ottawa and Florida. Both goalies confirmed to start.

Predictions for tonight's game?

I am predicting a 4-3 Panthers win. I am 4-4 on the season so far in terms of predictions (correctly predicted losses to Detroit, Toronto, Washington and Philly, was wrong on Minnessota, Colorado, and Carolina). I was undecided on Columbus, having suspected it could go either way, but will give it an incorrect guess. I predicted the Sens would either go 3-9 or 4-8, and they are currently 4-5.

The panel at SenatorsExtra have predicted 5-3 in favour of the Sens winning.

So your predictions have been horrible. You can't get half your predictions wrong, then have their overall record guessed correctly, and claim a victory!!!!

Of course, what can I expect from a Panthers fan.

Funny, NEELY did the same thing. And how does their overall record coincide at all with correctly predicting every win, nd every score?

So if someone predicted they would finish the season 43-30-5-4 but only successfully predicted wins for 23 games and incorrectly for 16 losses, they were incorrect saying they would still go 43 and 39 overall?

Great logic there.

Dash wrote:Well you are "kind of " annoying. You seem to feel the need to question my team loyalties when I say another team is better and likely will win, but I don't see you question anyone else for making predictions in favour of the other team, or for criticizing players that play for the team.

If it is okay as a fan of the team to criticize players on that team as a fan, does it mean if they criticize players on another team that they are a fan of that team too? Also by your logic if I predict the Sens will win, does that mean I am actually a fan of the opposing team?

Since I've been questioning your loyalties openly, the team has only lost one game. I can't take any chances and jinx more wins by stopping at this point.

Dash wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:

Dash wrote:Ok, done editing. Added starting line-ups (thanks Shabbs) for both Ottawa and Florida. Both goalies confirmed to start.

Predictions for tonight's game?

I am predicting a 4-3 Panthers win. I am 4-4 on the season so far in terms of predictions (correctly predicted losses to Detroit, Toronto, Washington and Philly, was wrong on Minnessota, Colorado, and Carolina). I was undecided on Columbus, having suspected it could go either way, but will give it an incorrect guess. I predicted the Sens would either go 3-9 or 4-8, and they are currently 4-5.

The panel at SenatorsExtra have predicted 5-3 in favour of the Sens winning.

So your predictions have been horrible. You can't get half your predictions wrong, then have their overall record guessed correctly, and claim a victory!!!!

Of course, what can I expect from a Panthers fan.

Funny, NEELY did the same thing. And how does their overall record coincide at all with correctly predicting every win, nd every score?

So if someone predicted they would finish the season 43-30-5-4 but only successfully predicted wins for 23 games and incorrectly for 16 losses, they were incorrect saying they would still go 43 and 39 overall?

Great logic there.

Yah, but I didn't predict every game as a loss. I'm going to predict Columbus looses every single game the rest of the year and you know what, I'll be right more than 1/2 the time.