03-08-2007, 07:46 AM
Maple Leafs-Senators Preview
7:30 PM EST
TV Information
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Local start: 7:30 PM
Local Home:
PPV
Local Away:
SNET-O
The Ottawa Senators have emerged as one of the NHL's top postseason contenders over the past couple of months, but that playoff run won't last long if they continue to blow third-period leads.
The Senators try to snap a three-game losing streak when they open a home-and-home series with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday at Scotiabank Place.
Ottawa (38-23-6) has the third-most points in the Eastern Conference with 82, thanks in large part to a 21-4-3 stretch from Dec. 23-Feb. 28. The Senators, however, have rattled off three straight defeats since then, all due to late-game collapses.
Ottawa led 4-1 midway through the third period Tuesday before allowing three goals in a three-minute span en route to a 5-4 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Senators held a 3-1 third-period lead versus Chicago on Sunday before losing 4-3 in a shootout, and allowed three goals in the final 17 minutes Friday in a 4-2 defeat to Atlanta.
"We needed a big save or a big goal, or something, but it seems like the other team's been making the big plays later on in the game," said Senators goaltender Ray Emery, who made 23 saves Tuesday.
Despite being in goal for two of those losses, Emery will start versus the Maple Leafs (32-26-9). He is 3-1-1 with a 2.83 goals-against average in seven career games against them.
Emery has allowed four or more goals in three of his last four starts after doing so just five times in his first 39 appearances of the season.
He'll look for a better performance as the Senators try to avoid losing four straight for the first time since a five-game skid from Oct. 28-Nov. 8.
It would be hard to blame Ottawa leading scorer Dany Heatley for this slide, with 10 goals and nine assists during his current 12-game point streak. He has 19 goals and 36 points in 22 career games versus the Maple Leafs - his most goals and second-most points versus any opponent.
Heatley may further benefit from the return of linemate Jason Spezza. The Senators' third-leading scorer sat out Tuesday's loss with a sore back and didn't practice Wednesday, but is hoping to be back in the lineup against Toronto.
"It's spasms," Spezza told the team's official Web site Wednesday morning. "It's getting better and I'm hoping (to return Thursday). It's probably a game-time decision, a day-to-day thing. My back has been feeling great this season. This is totally different from (the back injury) last year."
Spezza has seven goals and 12 assists during his own 11-game point streak. The center has seven points in his last three games against the Leafs, and his 28 points in 20 career meetings is tied for his most versus any opponent.
Spezza has helped the Senators go 4-1-1 against Toronto this season and hold a 11-2-1 edge in the last 14 meetings between the provincial rivals.
The Leafs, though, did win the last matchup 3-2 in a shootout on Feb. 3, and are coming off a 3-0 victory over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
Toronto's third win in eight games moved the team into a tie with Carolina for the eighth and final playoff spot in the tightly contested Eastern Conference. Just six points separate eighth and 13th place.
"We'll keep working hard and putting pucks to the net," said Leafs goaltender Andrew Raycroft, who made 24 saves for his second shutout of the season. "We're playing well right now.
"We just need to continue to play solid defense and stay in these games. We're starting to win the close games now. We all have a lot of confidence in the tight ones."
Darcy Tucker and Yanic Perreault each recorded their 20th goal of the season Tuesday while Alexei Ponikarovsky scored his 18th. It was Tucker's first goal in his second game back after missing more than two months with a broken left foot, and Perreault's first since rejoining the Leafs in a deadline trade.
SEASON SERIES
DATE SCORE WINNING GOALIE GWG
Feb 3, 2007 3 - 2 A. RAYCROFT J. POHL
Dec 30, 2006 3 - 2 R. EMERY C. PHILLIPS
Oct 26, 2006 7 - 2 R. EMERY D. HEATLEY
Oct 24, 2006 6 - 2 M. GERBER P. EAVES
Oct 5, 2006 6 - 0 A. RAYCROFT C. KILGER
Oct 4, 2006 4 - 1 M. GERBER C. NEIL
DATE 1st STAR RECAP
Feb 3, 2007 RAY EMERY Recap
Dec 30, 2006 RAY EMERY Recap
Oct 26, 2006 JOSEPH CORVO Recap
Oct 24, 2006 MIKE FISHER Recap
Oct 5, 2006 KYLE WELLWOOD Recap
Oct 4, 2006 MARTIN GERBER Recap
RECENT 5 GAMES
DATE RESULT DATE RESULT
Mar 6, 2007 WSH 0 @ TOR 3
Mar 3, 2007 BUF 3 @ TOR 1
Mar 2, 2007 TOR 4 @ NJD 3
Feb 27, 2007 BUF 6 @ TOR 1
Feb 26, 2007 TOR 4 @ MTL 5
Mar 6, 2007 PIT 5 @ OTT 4
Mar 4, 2007 OTT 3 @ CHI 4
Mar 2, 2007 OTT 2 @ ATL 4
Feb 28, 2007 CAR 0 @ OTT 2
Feb 27, 2007 OTT 4 @ CAR 2
NEXT 5 GAMES
DATE DATE
Mar 8, 2007 TOR @ OTT
Mar 10, 2007 OTT @ TOR
Mar 13, 2007 TBL @ TOR
Mar 16, 2007 TOR @ WSH
Mar 17, 2007 TOR @ MTL
Mar 8, 2007 TOR @ OTT
Mar 10, 2007 OTT @ TOR
Mar 13, 2007 OTT @ NYR
Mar 15, 2007 NYI @ OTT
Mar 17, 2007 PHI @ OTT
TOR Schedule OTT Schedule
TEAM COMPARISON
2006-2007 Team Stats
73 Points: 82
32 Wins: 38
2 ShutOuts: 6
16 Power Play Rank: 12
26 Penalty Kill Rank: 7
.727 Win % When Leading After 1: .781
.793 Win % When Leading After 2: .778
.158 Win % When Trailing After 1: .385
.080 Win % When Trailing After 2: .167
TEAM LEADERS
GOALS: M. SUNDIN 26 D. HEATLEY 41
ASSISTS: T. KABERLE 40 D. ALFREDSSON 46
POINTS: M. SUNDIN 60 D. HEATLEY 86
+/-: B. BATTAGLIA 11 T. PREISSING 32
OT GOALS: M. SUNDIN 1 W. REDDEN 1
7:30 PM EST
TV Information
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Local start: 7:30 PM
Local Home:
PPV
Local Away:
SNET-O
The Ottawa Senators have emerged as one of the NHL's top postseason contenders over the past couple of months, but that playoff run won't last long if they continue to blow third-period leads.
The Senators try to snap a three-game losing streak when they open a home-and-home series with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday at Scotiabank Place.
Ottawa (38-23-6) has the third-most points in the Eastern Conference with 82, thanks in large part to a 21-4-3 stretch from Dec. 23-Feb. 28. The Senators, however, have rattled off three straight defeats since then, all due to late-game collapses.
Ottawa led 4-1 midway through the third period Tuesday before allowing three goals in a three-minute span en route to a 5-4 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Senators held a 3-1 third-period lead versus Chicago on Sunday before losing 4-3 in a shootout, and allowed three goals in the final 17 minutes Friday in a 4-2 defeat to Atlanta.
"We needed a big save or a big goal, or something, but it seems like the other team's been making the big plays later on in the game," said Senators goaltender Ray Emery, who made 23 saves Tuesday.
Despite being in goal for two of those losses, Emery will start versus the Maple Leafs (32-26-9). He is 3-1-1 with a 2.83 goals-against average in seven career games against them.
Emery has allowed four or more goals in three of his last four starts after doing so just five times in his first 39 appearances of the season.
He'll look for a better performance as the Senators try to avoid losing four straight for the first time since a five-game skid from Oct. 28-Nov. 8.
It would be hard to blame Ottawa leading scorer Dany Heatley for this slide, with 10 goals and nine assists during his current 12-game point streak. He has 19 goals and 36 points in 22 career games versus the Maple Leafs - his most goals and second-most points versus any opponent.
Heatley may further benefit from the return of linemate Jason Spezza. The Senators' third-leading scorer sat out Tuesday's loss with a sore back and didn't practice Wednesday, but is hoping to be back in the lineup against Toronto.
"It's spasms," Spezza told the team's official Web site Wednesday morning. "It's getting better and I'm hoping (to return Thursday). It's probably a game-time decision, a day-to-day thing. My back has been feeling great this season. This is totally different from (the back injury) last year."
Spezza has seven goals and 12 assists during his own 11-game point streak. The center has seven points in his last three games against the Leafs, and his 28 points in 20 career meetings is tied for his most versus any opponent.
Spezza has helped the Senators go 4-1-1 against Toronto this season and hold a 11-2-1 edge in the last 14 meetings between the provincial rivals.
The Leafs, though, did win the last matchup 3-2 in a shootout on Feb. 3, and are coming off a 3-0 victory over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
Toronto's third win in eight games moved the team into a tie with Carolina for the eighth and final playoff spot in the tightly contested Eastern Conference. Just six points separate eighth and 13th place.
"We'll keep working hard and putting pucks to the net," said Leafs goaltender Andrew Raycroft, who made 24 saves for his second shutout of the season. "We're playing well right now.
"We just need to continue to play solid defense and stay in these games. We're starting to win the close games now. We all have a lot of confidence in the tight ones."
Darcy Tucker and Yanic Perreault each recorded their 20th goal of the season Tuesday while Alexei Ponikarovsky scored his 18th. It was Tucker's first goal in his second game back after missing more than two months with a broken left foot, and Perreault's first since rejoining the Leafs in a deadline trade.
SEASON SERIES
DATE SCORE WINNING GOALIE GWG
Feb 3, 2007 3 - 2 A. RAYCROFT J. POHL
Dec 30, 2006 3 - 2 R. EMERY C. PHILLIPS
Oct 26, 2006 7 - 2 R. EMERY D. HEATLEY
Oct 24, 2006 6 - 2 M. GERBER P. EAVES
Oct 5, 2006 6 - 0 A. RAYCROFT C. KILGER
Oct 4, 2006 4 - 1 M. GERBER C. NEIL
DATE 1st STAR RECAP
Feb 3, 2007 RAY EMERY Recap
Dec 30, 2006 RAY EMERY Recap
Oct 26, 2006 JOSEPH CORVO Recap
Oct 24, 2006 MIKE FISHER Recap
Oct 5, 2006 KYLE WELLWOOD Recap
Oct 4, 2006 MARTIN GERBER Recap
RECENT 5 GAMES
DATE RESULT DATE RESULT
Mar 6, 2007 WSH 0 @ TOR 3
Mar 3, 2007 BUF 3 @ TOR 1
Mar 2, 2007 TOR 4 @ NJD 3
Feb 27, 2007 BUF 6 @ TOR 1
Feb 26, 2007 TOR 4 @ MTL 5
Mar 6, 2007 PIT 5 @ OTT 4
Mar 4, 2007 OTT 3 @ CHI 4
Mar 2, 2007 OTT 2 @ ATL 4
Feb 28, 2007 CAR 0 @ OTT 2
Feb 27, 2007 OTT 4 @ CAR 2
NEXT 5 GAMES
DATE DATE
Mar 8, 2007 TOR @ OTT
Mar 10, 2007 OTT @ TOR
Mar 13, 2007 TBL @ TOR
Mar 16, 2007 TOR @ WSH
Mar 17, 2007 TOR @ MTL
Mar 8, 2007 TOR @ OTT
Mar 10, 2007 OTT @ TOR
Mar 13, 2007 OTT @ NYR
Mar 15, 2007 NYI @ OTT
Mar 17, 2007 PHI @ OTT
TOR Schedule OTT Schedule
TEAM COMPARISON
2006-2007 Team Stats
73 Points: 82
32 Wins: 38
2 ShutOuts: 6
16 Power Play Rank: 12
26 Penalty Kill Rank: 7
.727 Win % When Leading After 1: .781
.793 Win % When Leading After 2: .778
.158 Win % When Trailing After 1: .385
.080 Win % When Trailing After 2: .167
TEAM LEADERS
GOALS: M. SUNDIN 26 D. HEATLEY 41
ASSISTS: T. KABERLE 40 D. ALFREDSSON 46
POINTS: M. SUNDIN 60 D. HEATLEY 86
+/-: B. BATTAGLIA 11 T. PREISSING 32
OT GOALS: M. SUNDIN 1 W. REDDEN 1