Gameday: Sidney Crosby and the Penguins up next for the Senators

The Senators face the Penguins as the race for the wildcard spots in the East heat up at the midpoint of the season

Published Jan 11, 2025  •  Last updated 0 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

A scoring attempt by Penguins star Sidney Crosby is tipped over the net by Senators netminder Linus Ullmark in a game that the Senators won 3-2 on Dec. 14. Crosby will be in action for the Saturday afternoon rematch in Pittsburgh, but Ullmark is sidelined with a back injury and the Senators are expected to start Anton Forsberg in net. Photo by Adrian Wyld /The Canadian Press

Senators (19-18-3) at Penguins (18-17-8)

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Today, 4 p.m., PPG Paints Arena

TV: TSN5 Radio: TSN 1200 AM

ODDS: Ottawa +198 Pittsburgh -250

PLAYOFF MATCHUP

The Senators went into Friday night’s action sitting three points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final wildcard spot in the National Hockey League’s Eastern Conference.

It just so happened the Penguins had the same number of points as the Jackets (44), but Columbus held the tiebreaker advantage.

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That means this is a huge game for the Senators and they need to find a way to get back on track to halt their four-game losing streak.

Confidence is sagging, the club can’t score goals and these are the teams that Ottawa needs to beat. The Senators are 4-5-1 in their past 10 games and have scored just seven goals in the past five.

“I’m biased because I’m always around the net,” captain Brady Tkachuk said after the Senators’ skate on Friday. “Things hit off guys, shin pads, skates or the opponent and it kind of went the other way last night (against the Buffalo Sabres), where a crazy bounce will find the back of the net.

“Being at the net is the last place the puck is going to be before it goes in the net, so, as long as we’re creating traffic or staying on loose pucks, then we’ll get that scoring touch back.”

DOING THE SPLITS

Anton Forsberg and Leevi Merilianen will both see action in net for Ottawa this weekend.

It’s expected Forsberg will face the Penguins, while Merilainen will play at home against the Dallas Stars on Sunday at 5 p.m.

Forsberg heads into Saturday’s game with a 1-0-0 career record against Pittsburgh along with a 4.60 goals-against average and a .854 save percentage.

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He was supposed to face the Penguins on Dec. 14 at home, but was injured in the gym before that contest and Linus Ullmark played in the Senators’ 3-2 victory.

In this case, you’ve got to pick your poison and it doesn’t feel like a good idea to throw Merilainen in against a team you’re battling for a playoff spot.

STOP SIDNEY

You have to dream the impossible dream.

Sidney Crosby has 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 50 career games against the Senators.

He’s just been remarkable in every sense of the word and recently passed Mario Lemieux for the most assists in Penguins franchise history, now with 1,039 helpers.

The Penguins are coming off a 5-3 victory over Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at home on Thursday.

“They’re one of the most dangerous teams in the league,” Crosby said after the win over Edmonton. “It doesn’t take much. They can make a lot out of nothing. It was a good challenge, a good test for us. To get the lead was huge and to hang on to it. A good team win.”

THE ROSTERS

OTTAWA

Forwards

Tkachuk/Stuzle/Greig

Giroux/Norris/Batherson

Highmore/Pinto/Cousins

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Reinhardt/Gaudette/MacEwen

Ostapchuk

Defencemen

Chabot/Jensen

Sanderson/Matinpalo

Kleven/Zub

Guenette

Goaltenders

Forsberg/Merilainen

PITTSBURGH

Forwards

Rakell/Crosby/Rust

Bunting/Glass/Beauvillier

O’Connor/Hayes/Puljujarvi

Nieto/Lizotte/Acciari

Defence

Pettersson/Letang

Grzelcyk/Karlsson

Pickering/Joseph

Goaltenders

Jarry/Nedeljkovic

INJURIES

OTTAWA

F Michael Amadio (concussion, has resumed skating); D Jacob Bernard-Docker (high-ankle sprain, six weeks); D Travis Hamonic (knee, four weeks); F David Perron (upper body, has resumed skating); F Noah Gregor (lower-body, out for a lengthy period); G Linus Ullmark (back, week-to-week).

PITTSBURGH

C Evgeni Malkin (upper body, day-to-day); C Phil Tomasino (lower-body, on injured reserve).

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