GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ Tampa Bay Lightning - 7:00pm ET - Sat. Oct. 11th, 2014

Game #2 of 82

Lehner starts. Lines look to have remain unchanged at practice yesterday. The #FreeWiercioch chants have started already. Sens threw in the towel a bit too early vs Nashville. Too many turnovers. Hopefully they can have a bounce back game.

RELEASE THE LEHNER.

GO SENS GO!

Must win, and I don't think I can stress the importance of this game any more than that. Jobs are on the line, here.

NHL Game Preview: http://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/preview?id=2014020021

SENATORS (0-1-0) at LIGHTNING (1-0-0)

TV: SN1, SUN

Season series: The Tampa Bay Lightning won three of five games against the Ottawa Senators last season. Lightning goalie Ben Bishop went 3-0-1, though he had to leave the Jan. 30 game (an eventual 5-3 Ottawa win) after a goalmouth collision less than two minutes into the first period. Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson, now the team captain, led all players in the series with four goals.

Senators team scope: One lineup change is certain: Ottawa coach Paul MacLean confirmed Friday that Robin Lehner will start in goal after veteran Craig Anderson stopped 34 of 37 shots in a 3-2 loss Thursday to the Nashville Predators. Lehner made 35 saves to beat the Lightning on March 24 in the most recent game between the teams. Forward Curtis Lazar, 19, comes off an NHL debut in which he had two shots on goal in a shade over 15 minutes of ice time. He also got drilled by hard-hitting Predators defenseman Anton Volchenkov. "I got caught with my head down and Volchenkov kind of welcomed me to the League," Lazar said, according to the Ottawa Citizen. "I saw him coming … but I have to keep my head up. I think he took it a bit easy on me and I appreciate that."

Lightning team scope: It appears physical defenseman Radko Gudas will be in the lineup after the NHL announced there would be no supplemental discipline assessed for his hit on Florida Panthers forward Scottie Upshall on Thursday. No penalty was called on the play. "You never want to hurt anybody," Gudas said, according to the Tampa Bay Times. He's also not planning to change the way he plays anytime soon. "It's part of my game. I'm going to play the body too. I don't want to say guys should expect it but this stuff happens." The Lightning went 3-for-7 on the power play in their 3-2 win against the Panthers, including Victor Hedman's overtime goal.

Clearly a must win situation. Clearly.

shabbs wrote:Clearly a must win situation. Clearly.

Who's head will be first to roll?

ESPN and TSN with the exact same game day preview:

http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/preview?gameId=400564023
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/game/ottawa-senators-tampa-bay-lightning-20141011/Preview

Both incorrectly state that Stamkos got zero shots on goal in his 23+ minutes of ice time against the Cats. Truth is he got 3 (according to NHL.com).

Ryan and Karlsson need to step up. Ryan had zero shots and Karlsson was a -2. We don't want to go 0-2 like Philly. What's with that team?

SeawaySensFan wrote:

shabbs wrote:Clearly a must win situation. Clearly.

Who's head will be first to roll?

#FreePattyWiercioch

Yeah. I don't know what's up between Mac and Patty but it sure doesn't seem right

I know what's up, he isn't very good.

No lineup changes tonight

Ev wrote:I know what's up, he isn't very good.

OK, then please explain Cowen's ice time, especially last season.

Ev wrote:No lineup changes tonight

What about Lehner?

wprager wrote:

Ev wrote:I know what's up, he isn't very good.

OK, then please explain Cowen's ice time, especially last season.

Cowen is a lot harder player than Wiercioch and he needed reps.

Wiercioch is a slower skáter, softer, and doesn't cleartp the crease.

Weircioch is not a slower skater. He needs reps just as much.

Look I'm not arguing putting PW out there in place of JC, but JC should not be playing 20+ minutes. Would rather pair Karlsson up with Phillips at this point, until Methot is back.