Game Day Thread — Senators Vs Sabres

Ottawa Senators (31-21-4) Vs That Place Where No One Wants To Live (32-15-7) @ HSBC Arena, 7pm ET; Television: Sportsnet

A wise man once said, if God were to give the United States an enema, he’d insert it in Buffalo.

Here is my prediction that ran in James Gordon’s prediction panel…

Ottawa 3 Buffalo 1

I was tempted to back up my prediction by simply writing, come on! It’s Buffalo! But, I decided it was probably more prudent to write more than four words.

<Ahem> Here it goes…

After a small layoff following Saturday’s victory, I would be a little concerned that the Senators’ franchise winning streak might be due to come to a close but come on! It’s Buffalo! As if the Senators needed more motivation to keep their streak alive: Not only is the team playing their bitter rival, Cory Clouston can also use the Northeast Division title as a factor to keep his players hungry.

Here are the lines: Michalek – Spezza – Alfie; Regin – Fisher – Kovalev; Ruutu – Kelly – Neil; Shannon – Winchester – Cheechoo. Elliott gets the nod in the paint and there are no changes to the blueline.

Cowen Update:

Originally when Cowen signed his entry-level deal this afternoon, I didn’t think much of it. However, Tim raised a valid point on the car ride over to the studio for tonight’s podcast recording. If Spokane is eliminated from the playoffs before the AHL or NHL playoffs start, he’d be eligible for promotion and be able to play. Take that for what it’s worth.