Sabres and Senators Set to Clash in Ottawa
The Buffalo Sabres are set to face off against the Ottawa Senators tonight at the Canadian Tire Centre, in a highly anticipated matchup between two Atlantic Division rivals. Both teams are riding significant winning streaks, with the Sabres looking to extend their run to seven games and the Senators aiming for their fifth consecutive victory.
For the Sabres, Alex Lyon is expected to start in goal, having won his last five appearances with an impressive .922 save percentage. Jordan Greenway will return to the lineup after being rested for load management in the previous game. He is expected to play alongside Josh Dunne and Beck Malenstyn. Tyson Kozak is still out with an upper-body injury.
The projected lineup for the Sabres is as follows:
- Forwards: Peyton Krebs — Tage Thompson — Josh Doan, Noah Ostlund — Josh Norris — Alex Tuch, Zach Benson — Ryan McLeod — Jack Quinn, Jordan Greenway — Josh Dunne — Beck Malenstyn
- Defense: Mattias Samuelsson — Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power — Michael Kesselring, Bowen Byram — Zach Metsa
- Goaltenders: Alex Lyon, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
The Senators will be fielding the same lineup that secured a 6-2 victory against the Boston Bruins on Sunday. Linus Ullmark is confirmed to start in goal for Ottawa.
The projected lineup for the Senators is:
- Forwards: Brady Tkachuk — Tim Stutzle — Fabian Zetterlund, David Perron — Dylan Cozens — Drake Batherson, Michael Amadio — Ridly Greig — Claude Giroux, Kurtis MacDermid — Stephen Halliday — Nick Cousins
- Defense: Jake Sanderson — Artem Zub, Thomas Chabot — Jordan Spence, Nick Jensen — Nikolas Matinpalo
- Goaltenders: Linus Ullmark, Leevi Merilainen
A significant storyline of the game is the return of Josh Norris to Ottawa, marking his first game against his former team since being traded to Buffalo. Norris spent parts of six seasons with the Senators and has strong ties with several players, including Brady Tkachuk. Dylan Cozens, who was acquired by the Senators in the trade that sent Norris to Buffalo, is coming off a strong performance, with 1 goal and 2 assists in the previous game.
Tim Stutzle is currently on a seven-game point streak, totaling 14 points. Fabian Zetterlund has also been a key contributor for the Senators, with eight goals in his last 15 games. Linus Ullmark, after a shaky start to the season, has found his form, winning his last five starts.
Both teams have potent offenses and solid goaltending, setting the stage for an exciting and competitive game. The Sabres' balanced scoring and the Senators' offensive surge, led by Stutzle and Tkachuk, will be key factors to watch.
