GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ New Jersey Devils - 7:00pm ET - Fri. Apr. 12th, 2013

Yesterday was a must win game. That was yesterday. Now yesterday's gone. I just picked up a "Foreigner" compilation CD at FS for $5 -- can you tell? Teaching the kids about music on a budget.

Now, the Sens got themselves a bit of breathing room last night with an ugly 3-1 win over the drain-circling Flyers. While not mathematically eliminated, I think it's safe to say the Flyers, 7 points out of 8th with 8 games to go, are done. The New Jersey Devils, on the other hand, despite losing 8 in a row (a streak that began with a 3-2 shoot out loss to Ottawa), are still in the hunt, barely, sitting 4 points back of the Rangers. This will be a tough game against a team still thinking about sneaking into the playoffs, desperately trying to stop a long losing streak, and a goalie stuck with 666 wins as a Devil.

The Devils are missing Volchenkov (4-game suspension), Salvador (wrist) and Kovalchuk (shoulder). Hedberg (back) and Larsson (undisclosed) are questionable. The Sens need all the help they can get, let's just hope they don't take this team lightly.

GO SENS GO!!!

NHL.com Gameday Preview

Devils look for turnaround against Senators

SENATORS (20-14-6) at DEVILS (15-15-10)

TV: SNET-E, TVA, MSG PLUS

Last 10: Senators 5-5-0, Devils 2-4-4

Season series: The Ottawa Senators won the previous two meetings in shootouts, 2-1 on Feb. 18 at Prudential Center and 3-2 on March 25 at Scotiabank Place. This is the last regular-season clash between the teams.

Big story: Not only are the New Jersey Devils in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, but they will be without defensemen Anton Volchenkov (suspension) for four games and possibly Bryce Salvador (wrist). Salvador took a shot off the wrist from defenseman Zdeno Chara early in the second period in a loss to the Boston Bruins on Wednesday and never returned. With eight games remaining, the Devils are on thin ice in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

"We know the spot we're in and there are two choices," Devils coach Peter DeBoer said. "You roll over and die, or you get up and find a way to turn one win into six or seven, or whatever it's going to take."

Team Scope:

Senators: Ottawa snapped its five-game losing streak on Thursday when Colin Greening snapped a 1-1 tie on a power-play goal with 5:26 left in regulation on the way to a 3-1 road win against the Philadelphia Flyers. Zack Smith and Daniel Alfredsson also scored for the Senators, and Robin Lehner stopped 24 shots. Ottawa maintained a hold on sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 46 points, the same number as the New York Islanders; the Senators have played one fewer game.

"We stuck with it, and obviously it's two really important points for us," Alfredsson said.

Devils: The Devils certainly didn't get off to the start they needed on Wednesday against the Boston Bruins with their playoff hopes in jeopardy. Not only did they fail to capitalize on four power-play opportunities, including a pair of 5-on-3s, but the Bruins connected for two shorthanded goals and barely missed a third when Johnny Boychuk's penalty shot with his team down a man was denied by Martin Brodeur. The Devils mounted a comeback but lost 5-4 and were without Salvador (wrist) and Volchenkov (game misconduct) by the end of the night.

"I have no idea [what happened in the first] and I'm a little speechless," DeBoer said after the game. "We came out, created some power-play opportunities … and you guys saw what happened. They scored two shorthanded goals. It can't happen."

Who's hot: Mika Zibanejad, who centers the Senators all-rookie line with left wing Cory Conacher and right wing Jakob Silfverberg, has 10 assists and a plus-5 rating over the past 12 games.

Injury report: The Senators are without forwards Jason Spezza (back), Milan Michalek (knee) and Mike Hoffman (upper body), and defensemen Erik Karlsson (Achilles) and Jared Cowen (hip). … Right wing Ilya Kovalchuk (shoulder), Salvador and backup goalie Johan Hedberg (lower body) are questionable for the Devils. Adam Larsson, who missed Wednesday's game with a foot injury, is expected to return to the lineup.

We need another win! GO SENS GO!

No Kovalchuk, no Volchenkov, no Salvador... Hedberg and Larsson questionble...

Sens need to show no mercy. All out assault on the Devils.

GO SENS GO!!!

Milan Michalek watch

There were early indications that he would be in the lineup against Philly. Apparently it's now up to Milan to tell the coach when he's ready to go. If he wasn't ready yesterday, would another 24 hours make that much of a difference?

Here's a tweet from two weeks ago, Feb. 12 (the day that we lost Karlsson and Michalek):

Ian Mendes ‏@ian_mendes

Sens are running their forward lines in practice. And again, Zibanejad is centering Michalek & Alfredsson. Will start the game that way.

This is the game the Sens need to win. If they win this one then they put themselves in basically the best possible shape to get into the playoffs.

Anderson was confirmed as starter yesterday...

https://twitter.com/SunDoniB/status/322397930998870019

A team that has troubles scoring, this is the right time for Anderson to get something going. Hopefully that ankle is 100% and by the time the playoffs roll around her can have something going.

#beastmode

Devils are going to be playing desperate... Sens gotta get up for this one.

shabbs wrote:Devils are going to be playing desperate... Sens gotta get up for this one.

I hate, hate, hate facing a team on an 8-game slide. If not for the loser points this team would have been out a long time ago but, hey, that's how we got here, too. Also those loser points don't make this streak feel as bad (technically, according to the standings page, they are only on a 2-game losing streak).

Still, all technicalities aside, without Volchenkov, Salvador (although he *may* play), Larsson (may pay as well) and Kovalchuk you'd think this should be a walk through the park, right? Well this team scored 3 straight goals against the Bruins. They better not take them lightly.

I suspect there won't be a mandatory practice today. They should definitely watch some tape of previous games -- their own and the Devils'. Lots of lessons to learn.

Didn't realize the Devils had lost 8 in a row. 4 of those being in OT or SO. Wow.

shabbs wrote:Didn't realize the Devils had lost 8 in a row. 4 of those being in OT or SO. Wow.

Yep, ever since Brodeur won game #666 they haven't been able to win. There must be a contract signed in blood somewhere.

We have to be better than we were last night...build on the momentum.

Hopefully we start HITTING THE NET. We missed a lot of clear shots last night, which is very frustrating. It's like guys are trying too hard to pick corners.

Adnan ‏@sens_adnan wrote:

Regulation win puts Sens 8 points ahead of NJ with 7 games to go. Sens hold tiebreaker too, so can basically eliminate NJ from catching us.

Frankly, 6 points out with 8 to go I think they are done already. But they can still derail the Sens' thoughts of finishing 6th.

Although the Caps are the hottest team in the league right now, and Ovechkin is in #BeastMode of his own.

shabbs wrote:We need another win! GO SENS GO!

No Kovalchuk, no Volchenkov, no Salvador... Hedberg and Larsson questionble...

Sens need to show no mercy. All out assault on the Devils.

GO SENS GO!!!

SOLD!!!