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GAME DAY #35: Senators @ Panthers - 7:30 pm - Tuesday, Dec 22 2015
In the Eleventh Game of Christmas my True Sens gave to me,
Eleven ??? could have used him out there
Ten back a-skating
Nine blocked shots
Eight shots in the second (but they scored on *four* of 'em)
Seven and 20 shots (in the first period alone)
Six Give-aways
FIVE POWER PLAAAAAYS!
Four first period PIMs,
Another three for Karlsson
Two Hoffman goals
And a loss to that team from Philly.
In the Eleventh Game of Christmas my True Sens gave to me,
Eleven ??? could have used him out there
Ten back a-skating
Nine blocked shots
Eight shots in the second (but they scored on *four* of 'em)
Seven and 20 shots (in the first period alone)
Six Give-aways
FIVE POWER PLAAAAAYS!
Four first period PIMs,
Another three for Karlsson
Two Hoffman goals
And a loss to that team from Philly.
OK, thankfully this is the last of the Twelve Games of Christmas. In retrospect, since the GDTs are (usually) put up before the game I should have been one ahead each time (the first stanza appeared in the GDT for the *second* Game of Christmas). Bah! Maybe next time.
Meanwhile, the Sens are still just 4 points back of the Division Leading Habs with a game in hand, but they are also just 2 points ahead of *three* teams battling them for the final wildcard spot. Tampa, Jersey and Philly are all at 37 points, having played the same 34 games as the Sens; Pittsburgh is 4 back but have a game in hand. The Pennsylvania teams do not play until after the break, and the Lightning and Devils play Vancouver and Detroit, respectively, so there is still a good chance the Sens go into the break in a playoff spot. A regulation or overtime win over the Panthers tonight would vault Ottawa into the 1st wildcard spot (a SO win means the Panthers would be ahead on goal differential).
Florida is hot. Not just the weather, the Panthers are on a 4 game winning streak and 7-3 overall in their last 10. In 3 of those 4 games they scored 5 goals, and in the other Luongo posted a 2-0 shutout.
The Sens, not so much. They are 5-5-0 in their last 10 and find themselves with three teams just 2 points away from knocking them out of a playoff position.
Last time the two teams met the Sens overcame a 2-1 deficit, scoring 3 goals in the third period (including Pageau's shorty into an empty net) for a come-from-behind-twice 4-2 win. Hoffman provided the winning marker and the twitter commotion as he was benched for much of the third period, and replaced on the top line with Borowiecki.
Bobby Rayn aggravated his broken finger and Ryan Dzingel has been recalled. Ceci only played 5 minutes in the last game before coming out with an upper body injury. If he can't play then Cowen will draw back in, and we'd be back to a Cowen-Boro bottom pairing. Not sure what is worse -- Boro on the top line, or Boro on the right side killing penalties with Cowen. Dzingel is a RHS, can he play defense?
GO SENS GO!!!
