Sens vs Sabres: Ottawa Senators back home (finally) to face Buffalo

The Senators return home for the first time in nearly a month after nine-game road trip.

Published Jan 09, 2025  •  Last updated 0 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

The Ottawa Senators finished off nine straight games on the road with a 3-2 overtime loss in Detroit on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. Josh Norris, with just two goals in his past 12 games, is among the top Senators forwards struggling to score. Photo by Gregory Shamus /Getty Images

Sabres (15-21-5) at Senators (19-17-3)

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Thursday, 7 p.m., Canadian Tire Centre

TV: TSN5 Radio: TSN 1200 AM

Odds: Ottawa +148 Buffalo -184

HOME ON THE RANGE

The Senators haven’t skated at the Canadian Tire Centre since a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 14.

The club has a 5-4-1 record in its last 10 games and has gone winless in its last three games. That trend has to change if the Senators are going to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

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The Senators went into Wednesday night’s action only one point back of the final wildcard spot in the East.

The 3-2 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night was a strong effort, but the club let a point slip away in a tight race.

There are times when teams will play well and lose. That’s reality, but the Senators can’t afford to have many of those nights because points are paramount.

The club has lost five of its last six and needs wins.

CHANGE IT UP

The Senators have been struggling to find offence, and you have to wonder if coach Travis Green will mix the forward units around again.

The club has scored just 10 goals in its last six games and everybody has to contribute more.

The list of those struggling is long:

• Josh Norris has just two goals in his last 12 games.
• Shane Pinto has gone six games without scoring.
• Tim Stutzle had an assist in Detroit, but has just two goals in his last 15 games.
• Winger Drake Batherson has gone nine games without a goal.

That’s your top three centres, plus one of your top wingers, and you need those guys to drive the offence if you’re going to have success. Winger Adam Gaudette, who started the season like wildfire, has gone 12 games without a goal, but he’s clearly not alone on that front.

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Captain Brady Tkachuk is on pace for a career-high 38 goals after he scored his 18th of the year against the Wings.

SAVE THE DAY

The fans who like to spend their time on social media weren’t pleased to see Anton Forsberg get the start against the Wings.

He has struggled mightily this season and hasn’t won a game since Nov. 25 against the Calgary Flames.

In the five games since Linus Ullmark left with a back injury, the Senators have an .888 save percentage. The league average is about .900 so Forsberg and backup Leevi Merilainen need to get there.

The Senators need to let Forsberg run with the ball to see if he can get the job done in Ullmark’s absence. We’ll see where this goes.

THE ROSTERS

OTTAWA

Forwards

Tkachuk/Pinto/Greig

Gaudette/Stutzle/Batherson

Cousins/Norris/Giroux

Reinhardt/Ostapchuk/Gregor

Defencemen

Chabot/Jensen

Sanderson/Mantinpalo

Kleven/Zub

Goaltenders

Merilainen/Forsberg

BUFFALO

Forwards

Zucker/Cozens/Thompson

Peterka/McLeod/Tuch

Benson/Krebs/Quinn

Lafferty/Kozak/Aube-Kubel

Defence

Dahlin/Byram

Power/Clifton

Samuelsson/Jokiharju

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Goaltenders

Luukkonen/Reimer

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); G Linus Ullmark (back, week-to-week).

BUFFALO

F Beck Malenstyn (illness, day-to-day); F Jiri Kulich (lower body, won’t play); D Jacob Bryson (illness, day-to-day); F Jordan Greenway (undisclosed, indefinite).

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