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Red-hot Bruins, minus Marchand, visit Senators (Jan 25, 2018)
OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators swept the Boston Bruins during the 2016-17 regular season and after finishing three points higher in the standings, disposed of them in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in six games.
Seriously. You can look it up.
The teams will be coming from what seems like a million miles apart when they clash at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday, the last game before the All-Star break for both.
The Bruins (28-10-8) are riding a four-game winning streak and haven't lost in regulation time in 17, a span covering six weeks. They are 22-3-4 since Nov. 15, including 5-0 and 5-1 victories over Ottawa around Christmas.
They did, however, find out Wednesday night they will be without All-Star winger Brad Marchand for the next five games. Marchand, who has 50 points in 38 games, was suspended for an elbow to the head of New Jersey's Marcus Johansson on Tuesday night.
It was Marchand's sixth career suspension.
Meanwhile, the Senators (15-22-9) are in the midst of one of their worst seasons. They lost their fourth in a row Tuesday, a 3-0 shutout in St. Louis that marked the eighth time they've been blanked this season. They are third last in the overall standings, and the bottom is moving up on them.
Asked if they were close to turn things around, captain Erik Karlsson was blunt.
"No, not really," he said, adding the effort is there but "when it comes to playing hockey, I don't think it's there right now."
The Senators are hoping for the return of a couple key injured players in Mark Stone and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, but there's no indication of whether either will be ready to play against Boston.
"We're in our own heads right now," defenseman Mark Borowiecki said. "By no means am I making an excuse. At some point, we're just going to have to man up and find a way out."
The Bruins will still be without defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who was released from hospital Tuesday after a procedure to treat an abnormal heart rhythm. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said McAvoy "is doing terrific" but he's expected to be out at least until Feb. 5.
"Losing Charlie hurts," Cassidy told the Boston Globe on the topic of the team's transition game, "because that's one of his greatest strengths, his ability to move the puck under pressure."
Cassidy confirmed his starting goalie in Ottawa will be Tuukka Rask, who is 15-0-2 in his last 17 starts and is third in the NHL with a 2.16 goals-against average.
The Senators goaltending plans are unknown, but it's likely they'll go back to struggling No. 1 Craig Anderson, who is coming off a 39-save performance in St. Louis.
"Overall my game was OK, but I'm not happy with those goals," said Anderson, who surrendered two with the third an empty-netter. "It's one of those things where I'm trying to battle, and I'm trying to find them, and they squeak through."
