Injuries Mounting For Ottawa Senators Ahead Of Important Home Game vs St Louis Blues

Injuries Mounting For Ottawa Senators Ahead Of Important Home Game vs St Louis Blues

On today’s show, how the Ottawa Senators left two points on home ice against the New York Rangers and concern mounts with Shane Pinto joining the injured list. And we’ll have a weekend preview as the Ottawa Senators try to sing a different tune up against the St. Louis Blues. This is Brad Kachchuck and you’re listening to the Locked On Senator podcast. Your Locked On Senators, your daily podcast on the Ottawa Senators, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Welcome. You are locked on to the Ottawa Senators. I’m Ross Levitan alongside Brandon Pillar and today’s episode’s brought to you by Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code locked on NHL. You’ll get $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Today is Friday, December 5th, and Pillsey, they are dropping like flies. Just when Ottawa felt like they were getting guys back from injury, now Shane Pinto joins a list that includes Thomas Shabbat, Ardam Zub, and Lars Eller. Yeah, this is getting concerning, Ross. Uh obviously it’s great to have your leader and your top power forward back in Brady Kachchuck, but when the rest of the depth starts dwindling down, this roster is not what it was meant to be. And you start poking holes in any team’s lineup and it’s going to crumble a little bit. Now obviously Thomas Shabbat big part of this team’s decor. Ardam Zub a top pair defenseman. Shane Pinto, arguably one of the most important players on this team when you really look at his role and what that line produces and does not just offensively but defensively in the Amadio Pinto Ru line. So that line that’s chiseled in stone, Ross, uh Travis Green’s going to have to get out the the Chisler. Is that what you call it? Yep. The Chisler. Okay. And scratch that out and find a new name to put there. So, and then you look at Larsel or shirt. That’s a fourthline guy, but he’s been really good for the Ottawa Senators in the role that he’s had to play. So, this is this is not how you want to return home from a successful road trip. No, it’s not. And losing 42 to the New York Rangers is just awful in terms of them getting more points than you. A lot of Atlantic Division teams winning. We’ll touch on that a little bit later on, but the focus in the room can’t be on that. It has to be on what the team needs to do to get out of this. Now, three losses in their last four games. And now you see a world where we can’t talk about special teams being an issue because Ottawa for the first time since late October scored two power play goals last night. It just so happened to come in a game where they score zero in regulation. And I was listening to our good friend John Chick over at locked on New York Rangers and from their perspective it felt like an Igor Shashurken win that Ottawa got goalied and that that was the difference in the game. Do you buy that or do you think there was more that Ottawa could have done to get pucks past him? I think all things considered, Ross, the Senza actually played a decent game in my opinion when you look at losing Shane Pinto who only had just about five minutes of ice time. Travis Green just decided, I’m just gonna run Timmy and Dylan Cousins through the ground here. I’m not going to roll a line. Stephven Hall only played what, six m six minutes and 35 seconds. Um, and the Ottawa Centers had chances. Like you look at that Timmy Breakaway where he blows a tire and runs over or under, I should say, Eigor Shurken. You look at Brady Kachchuck had a couple opportunities. I thought he had a really nice play. It was a twoon-one with Timmy and he tried to do a perfect pass off the pads. It Timmy was tied up and it didn’t get in the right spot for him. Drake Pathson hit the post. Peron hit the post. Like there was opportunities for the Ottawa Sanders here. And then I know it’s not that big of a deal, Ross, but when the Ottawa Senators penalty kill was 32nd in the league coming into this game, going one for one 100% is a nice little boost there, too. So the special teams finally plays a part here. But the five on five isn’t able to keep things tight enough to really hold this game off. Now, one of those goals obviously comes on the empty net for the New York Rangers. But it would have been nice to find a way to get a point here, but overall I I don’t know. I’m not that disappointed in this one because it was close. The Suns had their chances and you go up against a really good goalie in Eigor Shurken who had a nice night. Yeah. And he had a good third period. That’s where Ottawa did a lot of their pushing down two heading into the third period. They end up bringing it to within one thanks to Bathson’s 10th goal of the season, but wasn’t enough to get the win. And the second period doomed them. I know the score was only one- nothing in favor of the Rangers in the second, but they dominated that period. Really took the life out of the building. The shot attempts were 25 to1 at five on five in the second period. They got one extra one on that power play. So 26 shot attempts for the Rangers in the second period. Ottawa had 27 all situation shot attempts. In the third period though to kind of balance things out. But that second period in particular was just not good enough. And in the third you get it to within one. You’ve got the goalie pulled and they were dumping it but not really chasing. It felt like it was a bit of a discombobulated setup to go in with the the extra man out there on the ice. they would try to almost get the blue line um with control, which I like, and then they would chip it in the corner and it would just get cleared out right away. So, that to me was something that you should key in on heading into the weekend that if you do find yourself in a situation like they did when they were in St. Louis where you got the goalie pulled, you’re trying to tie it up. You have to be able to get a an extended zone pressure. And give credit to the Rangers. They didn’t allow that to happen last night. And Ottawa ends up giving the empty net as a result. Well, and similar to the St. Louis Blues game, Ross, I thought the sends were just deciding, we’re going to dump it in and see what happens. And they were able to create pressure in that game, but not ultimately tie it up. And in this one, the Ottawa Sanders end up getting hemmed in their own zone with the goalie pulled and guys are diving all over the place. Jake Sanderson tries to block that shot from Paneran that ultimately goes in. when you’re hemmed in your own zone six on five with the goalie pulled I mean you you might as well just just call it a game like you’re done and the Senators have struggled whether it’s whatever man advantage it is whether it’s on the power play or with the goalie pulled they’ve struggled to enter the zone and that’s why I think Ross they’re resorting to that dump and chase because they’re like man if we’re just getting stuffed at the blue line every time we got to at least try to get that puck in there and then use our strategy that we know Travis Green deploys so much as having that aggressive forcheing. So if we can’t get into the zone with our guys like Timmy and Jake Sanderson that are usually so good at that, then we have to use our aggressive forchecking. And when it doesn’t work, it ends up being a bad look for the eye test because you’re like, “What are we doing? We’re just giving the puck away. They’re clearing it and we’re wasting time here.” So, it’s a tough problem to solve if your zone entries aren’t happening because that’s what the Ottawa Centers rely on. Like, how many times on the power play or with the goalie pulled is it Jake Sanderson or Tim Stutz like carrying that puck through the neutral zone almost every single time? And if they can’t get it done, this team’s not going to be able to find ways to get in there because it seems like there’s no other option other than those guys to carry it in. Well, and a big reason then too why you’re missing Thomas Shabbat. Like they pull the goalie with over two and a half left and Sanderson’s already at almost 27 minutes at this point. And it’s Cleven going to hound it behind the net and start the breakout with the goalie pulled and that’s just not the chair he should be sitting in. He had a great block by the way on the PK in the second period. So this is nothing against Tyler Cleven, but it just more so speaks to how much they miss that second left shot offensive defenseman. And when you’re playing Spence with Sanderson, you’re putting a lot of your offensive eggs in that basket. And when they’re not on when you’re when they’re not on the ice, it’s not as easy to move the puck up to the forwards and that can mess up the rhythm of the team. So super unfortunate there. Pillsy with Bathson’s goal in the third period. He ties Tim Stutzla for 10th in franchise history. We had that conversation during one of the extended breaks between games. Who would get to number 10 first? Well, Timmy got there. Actually, they’re all still tied with Eric Carlson, but they both played less games, so they move ahead. So, three-way tie for 10th now in goals in Senators franchise history. Brady Kachchuck with an assist. He moves into sole possession of fifth with a with 411 points. Senators captains have the first five spots on this list. Alfred, Spettza, Carlson, Yashen, and Brady Kachchuck. Those are your five top five all-time points leaders for the Ottawa Senators. So, those are the historical moments that happened in last night’s game. Two assists for Jake Sanderson as well gives him 150 career points. Did you know that at 23 years old, Jake Sanderson is fifth all time in points by a Senator’s defenseman. Only Chris Phillips, Thomas Shabbat, Wade Reen, and Eric Carlson have more. Yeah. I mean, he’s climbing that ladder very quickly. And uh we always were saying that that was going to happen. Ross, you and I always believed in Jake Sanderson’s offensive ability. We had people telling us when the S drafted him, even before when he was uh entering the draft that, hey, this guy’s a great skater and probably be good defensively, but we just don’t know if the offense will pop at the NHL level. We always believed it and and here it is. He’s sneaky this year. um third on the team in points with 23 points in 27 games. That’s elite for a defensive. He’s only one point back from Stutsa and Bathson uh for the lead in this team’s points. And you talked about the forwards, Ross. I want to see half of the top 10 spots in Senators career points leaders taken by this era of Ottawa Senators. Like I want to see Brady, Timmy, Bathson, Pinto, and Stutza. I guess he said Yeah, I said and Sanderson. I think Sanderson can get up there, right? Like where Sure. How many points away is he now? I mean, a couple hundred probably. Well, yeah. Yeah, he he’s still he’s still got a ways to go there at 150, but still fifth among defenseman is wild considering he’s only played 263 games. To put it in perspective, obviously a little bit different portions of their career, but not too too much. Charara, who he just passed, four more points now than Charara had with Ottawa, and he did it in 36 less games. So, that’s the kind of guys who he’s sitting around uh at the table with in terms of career. His next point will move him into a tie for 33rd with Mika Zabanad, who scored a goal against them last night. But if you look this season, Psey, in the National Hockey League, only seven defenseman have more points than Jake Sanderson. So, he is producing a ton of offense and the power play getting going. Great to see last night for the Senators. A man who is on their top power play unit, Shane Pinto is out and Travis Green just confirmed he will not play tomorrow. So, will we see a call up? Maybe. If we do, who will it be? and we’ll look at how we’d organize the senator’s lines. Now, without Shane Pinto, there is a sliver of good news in the injury notes. We’ll get to that next. You’re listening to Locked On Senators, your team every day. Today’s episode is brought to you by our friends over at Game Time, guys. The World Cup is coming back to North America for the first time since 1994. And with 48 teams for the first time ever, it’s going to be massive. But let’s be honest, getting tickets, that’s usually the hardest part, especially for a big event like this. That’s why the Game Time app is clutch. Finally giving fans a real advantage when it comes to snagging seats. With Game Time, you can track prices dropping in real time, get alerts when great seats open, and buy tickets the moment they hit the app. It puts the power back in your hands and makes going to the World Cup realistic instead of impossible. The seat view feature, that’s a game changer. You literally see what the pitch is going to look like from the exact seat before you buy. Prices include fees upfront. I love that. No last second surprises at checkout. And alerts for teams and matches make it easy to grab tickets the moment they drop instead of missing out. So don’t miss out. Take the guesswork out of buying World Cup tickets and every match, concert, or event with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, download the app, make an account, and use code locked on NHL for $20 off. Swipe, tap, ticket, go. Game time. All right, Pelsey, we will be looking ahead to the weekend in just a moment where the Ottawa Senators will continue a three-game home stand against the St. Louis Blues. It is a 7:00 sports neck game as we look to get back in the winning column. Sanders will wrap up that home stand next Tuesday against New Jersey before embarking on a three-game road trip to Columbus, Minnesota, and Winnipeg. Pilzy, we know that Thomas Shabbat will be out about the next 10 days, maybe nine now because Travis Green did say that yesterday. Shabbat has missed nine of the last 10 games and only came back to play against San Jose where he had to leave in that game after reagravating the injury. Zub Eller, new additions to the injured list. It seems though that Ardam Zub might be able to return on the weekend would obviously be a huge boost on the back end and that’s massive Ross. Not because of D like the direct impact it has in my opinion. Obviously Zub having a great offensive year too and that pair of Sanders and Zub is is it crazy? I just popped in my head. Is it crazy to say one of the best pairs in S’s history? I don’t think so. Yeah. Yeah, I don’t think that’s crazy. Yeah. Uh, so there, I said it. Um, but what it does, Ross, is you just talked about it. It allows Jordan Spence to go back down onto that second pair with Tyler Cleven to have a puck mover, not just on the top pair. And I think that’s a bigger impact than just bringing back Sanderson Zoo because Jake Sanderson, he’s the best, man. Like, he can play with anyone. He’s he’s proven it. He’s had to play with less than formidable partners in the past and he’s been able to carry his D pairs no matter who’s there. So I’m not concerned so much about oh man we need Zub back so he can play with Sanderson. It’s more that bottom four of Tyler Cleven with Matt Palo which should be your third pair and then Dennis Gilbert and Nick Jensen. There’s no puck movers there. I mean, Jensen, you could argue we hope he can return to being at least a better puck mover. Like, he’s not just your big physical shutdown guy, but that’s just not been the case this year, unfortunately. So, getting Spence down and balancing out that bottom four a little bit is the real game changer here. So, I really hope Zub is back in the lineup tomorrow. Meanwhile, less likely that Lars Eller will be able to return tomorrow. And interesting that Elliot Freeman on 32 thoughts, he keeps going back to this. Every time the Senators are brought up, his big story for the Senators right now is that Steven Halliday being up with the team has a lot of eyeballs from around the leagues focused on what kind of NHL player they think Steven Halliday could be. And we know the Vancouver Conucks are in a bit of a fire situation. Dead last in the National Hockey League waking up this morning. They want centermen and he went from Ottawa and talking about Holiday to talking about the Canucks. So just something to keep in the back of your head. I don’t want them to move Holiday. Obviously we’re a little biased on this because he’s an absolute beauty, great friend of the show. But the thought process would be look, you’ve got your top three centerman locked up. That’s not even including Ridley Greg who’s a natural center and been playing the wing. What would the role be longterm for Steven Hall if and when he’s ready to play in the league? And Ross, we already saw this. Steve Stoos uh dealing his assets from a position of strength. Zack is Tapchuk, right? Similar spot who who was a guy that you could see being a third line center one day. He got some time as a fourthline center in the NHL to see how things go. and you just know like this is a nice player, but he’s not going to fit in our system with having Timmy Cousins now uh and then Shane Pinto signing that extension. Like there’s just not a spot for him. And I know you could move Holiday to the wing, but I don’t love that. I think he should be in the middle. And I know it sucks to say, but the Ottawa Centers don’t have a lot of trade chips. Holiday is a massive trade ship that they could have because teams could look at him and see the potential and think, “Hey, maybe we could buy low, if you will, and this guy could end up being I think Steven Holidayiday could be a really good third line center in the league one day in my opinion, especially you get him with a sniper on his wing. Uh, we know he’s a disher, so he can set those guys up. So, it’s no it’s no surprise that Holiday is the guy that Elliot Freriedman keeps saying is kind of the Sen’s big trade chip here. Yeah, no doubt. And you’d think the Senators would be less inclined to trade Ridley Greg, who would be another guy that teams would be calling about saying, “Hey, like where where does he fit in with you guys right now?” Like he’s on the fourth line or had been with Shane Pinto’s injury. That’s likely to change. But, um, curious season. Obviously, you give a guy a few games when he gets back before you really start kind of needling into their performance, but I do think they need more from Ridley Greg. Two goals in 22 games, Pelysey. Like, yeah. And just quickly on Greg though, I don’t think they’re now would be the time to trade him for two reasons. You’re you’d be selling low like really Greg, like you just mentioned, has not been very good lately, unfortunately. He did have that injury that kept him out of some games. So, I don’t know, maybe he’s still dealing with a little bit of that. I’m not sure. Um, but also you want to keep Ridley Greg as your insurance safety net for the times when one of these centermen unfortunately might go down with injury like Shane Pinto right now because Ridley Greg in my opinion is better as a winger. So, you have him as a winger that can move up and down the lineup uh on the wing, which we’ve seen him do this year. And then if unfortunately there is an injury at center, he’s a nice guy that you can slide to the middle and feel okay about that. So, I think he’s more valuable to the Ottawa Senators right now, especially with him not playing well, than he is as a trade chip to try to move uh somewhere else and bring in a top guy. But well, you got to look at you got to move some money out if you’re going to be bringing in a top six impact guy. So for me, the only options really are Greg, Peron, and possibly Zetterland. But again, I think Zetterland is a bit of a sell low candidate right now as well. No, I think that you might have found something too with that top line. I know they didn’t score last night, but I do I do like the way that uh they’re playing together at five on five. Uh just a side note too, Zack Stapuk zero points in 21 NHL games since being traded to the San Jose Sharks. Uh he’s got three goals and an assist in the AHL this year after going pointless in the playoffs in the AHL last season. So maybe that would give a team pause that they’re like, “Oh well, the last team that traded for a guy who they thought was going to have more potential to step into the NHL right away didn’t work out quite so well.” I will say though, a stap was never going to be a big points guy, right? Like I don’t think we looked at him and were like, “Oh, he’s going to rack up points.” Whereas Holiday, you see the vision and the play making. And you can see how he could get a lot of assists, especially with his body uh size and his ability to shoot the puck and get into the slot and battle defenseman for those hard to get areas on the ice. whereas a stap for me was always going to be a checking, not necessarily grinder, but more of a a two-way guy. So, I I think there is a bit of a difference there, but I I see your point for sure. And I mean, both of these GMs are probably like, man, I did not get the player I was advertised to get here. Although, a snapchuck very young, so you got to give him some time here. But kind of funny how that worked out. Yeah, I think he’s only three years younger than than Fabian Zetterland, right? Like he was 2021 draft. So, but I mean, you look at games played in the NHL like totally, totally. But hey, let’s let’s see how that top line keeps cooking along. And let’s wonder up next if there is a recall for the Ottawa Senators. Who should it be? And there’s a reason why we might know sooner than when the roster move is officially made. Plus, a weekend preview against the St. Louis Blues. And will there be any Sense prospects, the World Juniors? That’s next. You’re listening to Locked On Senators, your team every day. Today’s episode is also brought to you by our friends over at Monarch. Let’s be honest, guys. Most of us can’t name all of our financial accounts, let alone what they’re all worth. Between 401ks, saving investments, it’s easy to lose track, and that can mean leaving money on the table. Don’t do that. That’s why there’s Monarch, an all-in-one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean, easy to use interface on your laptop or on your phone. It’s going to help you organize your accounts, track your spending, and get a better handle on your investments. And you don’t even have to touch a spreadsheet. You’re going to love that you can review everything with your partner, see your shared goals, and make better financial decisions together. They’ve got visual dashboards and smart tools that make it so much easier to understand where your money’s going and how to make it work harder for you. So, in this economy, do not let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code locked on NHL atmon.com for 50% off your first year. That’s monarch.com. Code locked on NHL for half off your first year. All right, Pelsey weekend preview in just a couple of minutes, but first let’s discuss the Senators lineup and how we think they’ll be able to withstand the loss of Shane Pinto. No easy feat. Pinto currently leads the Ottawa Senators in goalcoring this season. He’s got 12 of them while also being one of their best defensive players. He’s also been incredible in the faceoff dot, winning just about 54% of his draws. 16 of his 18 points have come at even strength, including 11 of his 12 goals. So huge hole in the lineup now. And we think it’s going to be as simple as moving Ridley Greg from the fourth line up to play third line center between Amadio and Giru. Yeah, I think that’s the right move, Ross. I just talked about it. Greg is that guy that can do that for you. Uh and for that reason, I’m going to be locked on to really Greg in tomorrow’s game because this is a huge opportunity for him. He’s got big shoes to fill with Shane Pinto. And but in my opinion, Ross, he’s set up for success here. like Michael Lamario, you’ve been really happy with the way he’s been playing and rightfully so. And then Clo Drew, you got a stable vet there. So, you’re put in a good spot with those guys as your linemates. And it’s nice um in the faceoff dot, Clo Drew can handle a lot of the responsibilities. Not that really Greg’s been terrible. No, he’s been good, man. He’s 56% but hasn’t hasn’t taken many since coming back from injury. in the uh three games since coming back, he’s uh 44% 8 for 18. Okay. So, yeah, I wasn’t trying to dog on Greg for the faceoffs, but when you have arguably one of the best face off guys ever, uh it’s nice to have him on your line if you’re just moving back to center and you’ve been playing wing for most of your time here. So, I think that’s a good spot for him and I want to see really Greg succeed. So, let’s hope that this can be a big boost for him. Yeah, love that. And that would leave the fourth line with Curtis McDermott coming in. The only extra the Senators had with the four players now, including two forwards on the injured list. But Travis Green did say that he may call up a forward from Belleville. Now, the reason we might know sooner is that Belleville does play tonight against the Laval Rockets. So, we’ll be looking for any late scratches like what happened with Steven Hall in the last game and then ultimately they come up. I really think it comes down to a decision of two players, Arthur Kalv and Ole LE. Both guys have played already a game or two or or I think in Lexel’s case, maybe even a few more games in Ottawa this season, but um I I just don’t see anyone else being being ready to to come up and play in the NHL. Not Hayden Hodgson’s. I mean, you could. Yeah, sure. Yeah, you could bring Hodgson back up. I’m okay with that. But I think that I’ve got him lower on my list just with the needs that I think they have with the injuries out. Uh for me, Ross, I would rank it Lexel first, Calv second, Hodgson third. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I did forget about Hodgson, so that’s a fair point. He he has shown that he can come up and play seven, eight minutes. But I think that if you’re looking to build a track record within the AHL group of you earn your call-ups, I mean, Arthur Kelly have kind of has to be the guy then. The guy leads the league in power play goals, leads the league in shots. I mean, this to me is a guy who’s chomping at the bit to get another opportunity. And he’s got what, one goal in or one point in two games so far this season in the NHL. Like, I think that this might be the time to give him a call. The only reason why I would hesitate would be that he needs waiverss to go back. So, is Shane Pinto going to be out for just a game or two? Is Lars Eller coming back soon? Those might be questions that are asked before the decision is made of who you want to call up because if it’s Hodgson, I think they would be very okay and comfortable getting him through waivers afterwards and that could open up. I he might not even need waivers yet, but I know that Ole Lexel and Calv have been over a month since they did clear waivers. So, if they either got called up, they would need to go through the league waivers before going back down. Yeah, I I see your thought process and it’s definitely fair, Ross, but I’d be too nervous about losing Calv on waiverss. He’s so hot right now in Belleville. Let him stay there. And he’s he’s a onetrick pony now. at trick is pretty fantastic and he does it every night scoring a goal which is great. You want to see that but I just think Ole Lexel has a better allround game and I think that’s what they need on the fourth line there. Um and I just I don’t know how you’re going to squeeze him into your power play units now with Pinto out. That’s a guy that’s not going to be on a power play unit. So I guess technically there is a spot there but I’d like to see Zetterland get that opportunity now that he’s heated up. Um, so I just think it makes a lot more sense to bring up Lexel. And look, I that’s a guy I don’t want to lose on waiverss either. I think he’s valuable to this organization and he’s a good AHL player and serviceable in the NHL. And I think there’s a reasonable chance that he could get claimed. Is it high? Probably not, but less than Arthur Calv right now. So for my thoughts, I really think Ole Lexel is the better choice here, especially if like you mentioned, we’re uncertain how long it’s going to be. Like imagine bringing up Calv and you only need him for one game, then you lose him on waiverss. Like, oh, what a kick in the pants that would be. I mean, we already lost Sabbrano, a guy that would be useful right now to to waivers. So, it does happen. Yeah, Cali has eight goals, 13 points in his last 10 games in the AHL. And he has at least a point in 17 of his 21 AHL games this season. So, if you’re going based on merit, it’s probably Calia. But if you’re going on need, maybe go LE or with Hayden Hodgson. Let us know in the comments who you want to see get called up or do you want to see Curtis McDermott and his 61 and two record when he’s in the lineup get back there when the Senators take on the Blues. We expect the Lions to go Stutz Kachchuck Zetterland Cousins Pon Bathson and then it’s anybody’s best guess for the bottom six on the back end. Sanderson, Spence, Cleven, Matt and Paulo, Gilbert with Jensen, and I’m not putting Zub in until it’s official because I don’t want to jinx this. The Senators could really use Ardam Zub in the lineup tonight. So, the Senator tomorrow night, I should say. I’m I’m fired. I want to get that taste out of my mouth from the New York Rangers game. I know they played okay, but just the result at home and it was a bit of a sleepy crowd and they didn’t really have much to cheer about when you go down two nothing early. never led in this game and it was only tied for three and a half minutes. Tomorrow’s opponent, the St. Louis Blues, if you feel like you just saw this, you did. Senators will end the season series against the Blues after losing in the third period to them against uh last Friday, that random 3:00 game on US Thanksgiving. And the St. Louis Blues now they’re on an Eastern swing. They just got crushed by the Boston Bruins last night. 5-1 was the final score there. Robert Thomas. Their top line center is between Braden Shen and Jake Neighbors. Second line of Pia Sudter with Dylan Holloway and Jordan Kyu. The third line, Dalabort D’vorski with Well, you got to help me with this first name, Pilzy. We got uh we got a real Finn here on our hands. Alexent Caps Kamaki is my guess. Yes. And Pavle Buchavic playing right wing now on the third line. He was in the top six when they played last week. Fourth line, Oscar Sunfist with Matia Joseph and Nick Buchad. On defense, Philip Broberg with Colton Pereo, Tyler Tucker with Justin Faulk, and Cam Fowler with Logan Mayu. I would expect Jordan Bennington to start in goal. Just beat Ottawa last week, but he was in goal there in Boston last night. So, we will see. Your lookout player for the St. Louis Blues, Pelsey. My lookout player is going to be Jake Neighbors. Uh he’s been elevated to that top line up with Robert Thomas and Braden Shen. Uh this is a sneaky good player that I think often gets overshadowed by the Kyros, the Thomas’. Um but last year he had 22 goals and 46 points uh for or sorry 22. Yeah. Yes, that was right there in 82 games. So that’s a nice season for him. And then the year before he had 27 goals. So, this guy can score. Uh, so I’m going to be looking out for him on that top line. Yeah, he’s very, very skilled, but big player and going to be tough to knock off the puck down low. So, I like that call. And when you add Braden Shen with Neighbors on that top line, that’s a that’s a heavy line that they didn’t have last week when they played Ottawa. So, curious to see how that looks, just shifting Thomas away from Kyu and really spreading out both the skill and the physicality more throughout the lineup. My lookout player is going to be Colton Pereco. He had a great assist to David Pon. Still thought they were playing in 2019 together in the third period in St. Louis. But he to me is just that that guy that I think fans of the team that cheer for him are always wanting a little more physicality just based on his size, but he’s just not that player. He’s smooth skating, going to be on team Canada at the Olympics. I’d be shocked if he isn’t, especially when you connect the dots that his GM in St. Louis is one of the men picking the team in Doug Armstrong. So Pareo was great with Josh Moresy at the Four Nations. He’s got Philip Broberg. Obviously not the same caliber of player as Morrisy, but they need him if they want to win on the road because he’s a guy who can get in lanes and disrupt with that long stick. And I think if Ottawa’s going to win, the rest of this decor is getable defensively. Like they aren’t the biggest guys. Tucker is a big guy, but not really a guy who you’re intimidated by in terms of uh getting offenses own possession against. Pareo to me is the guy you break him, you break the dam. So, I think that with the forchecking style that Otto was trying to play, go target the biggest guy back there, put him on his ass early in the game behind his net when he’s going to get a puck and then maybe the shoulder checks get a little more often and the panic sets in because Ottawa is going to have to play a lot more in the offensive zone than they did against the New York Rangers. Yep. And with the Suns being at home, Travis Green is going to get the line matches. I want to see that Timmy Brady Zetterland line up against Pareo and Broberg every single time. um use that speed that Timmy has and Zetterland could fly out there too. And then you’ve got Kachchuck bigger body that can hopefully hang with Pareo in front of the net. So I think that’s the way you want to do that. But one thing I noticed, Ross, looking at the St. Louis Blues line uh lines and time on ice in their last game up against Boston, Montgomery is rolling the lines here. This is so opposite of what the Ottawa Senators time on ice looks like. Braden Shen led them in led the forwards rather in time on ice was 1759. The lowest time on ice was Sunkfist with 1201 very different compared to the sends. And then on defense Broberg with 2113 led them with time on ice. So they’re rolling the lines here. And when you have a team like St. Lewis that they’ve tried to spread out some of their big players. You got Thomas on a line, Sudter on a line, or uh sorry, Kyu on a line, and then Buch on a line. They’re trying to spread that out. They’re going to have a lot more energy when it comes to the end of the game. And what have we talked about? How poor the Ottawa Senators have been in the third period. So, this could end up being a track meet where if it’s close, the St. Louis Blues could run away with it and just hold it down. kind of like what they did in the last game in that third period. So, I’m a little nervous, especially with the injuries, that Travis Green’s just going to work Timmy and Cousins and Sandy and we’re not going to be able to hang with them physically and they’re going to have tired legs come the third period. Thing with the St. Louis Blues though is it feels like they’ll always allow you to get back into a game, right? Like Ottawa had their chances. They didn’t play very well last Friday, but they still had their chances and they still got it to within a tie in the third, right? So, you need to get on them earlier than that and make it a game where they’re chasing you because when they’re trailing going into the third period this season, the Blues are 110 and one 04 and0 on the road. So, only win was up against Ottawa then, right? Uh were they were they trailing or was it tied going third? No, they were trailing. Yeah. So, Ottawa was winning 2-1. I know that specifically, Ross, I tell you. So, that’s their only win when trailing after two periods this season. uh when the opponent scores first. The Blues are 28 and one this season. They’re 74 and six when they score first. So try to get the first goal and go from there because it cannot be a repeat where you feel like you did enough to deserve to win against the Blues last week, but it didn’t happen. Then the Blues are not a team that is really or that should be beating the SS twice in the season series. The Blues are two points out of last place in the National Hockey League right now. They wake up today with a 912 and seven record. So, if you’re Ottawa, get on them early, be hard on pucks, and I mean, stay disciplined. But it’s also worth noting that Ottawa’s PK went a perfect three for three against the Blues. And the Blues power play is only one for their last 22 opportunities. That’s a span of seven games. They’ve got a minus five goal differential. They’re 3-3 and one during that stretch. So, I’m I’m really nervously excited for this game because I do think this is a spot where the Senators need to find two points. Yeah, I agree. I I’m close to calling it a must-win game, but I’m going to hold off. But it is a very important game. And to add another key to victory here, Ross, try to get Jordan Bennington, if he’s playing, off his game. He is a hothead at times and he can focus too much on being like, I gotta get rid of my revenge. I’m gonna shove this guy in front of me because I’m sick of him. And then he’s not in position for a shot deflection or to move side to side in the crease. Well, last season he tried to fight Lenus Almark, right? Yeah. Yeah. And Lena Almark almost got into a goalie fight this year, too. Um and Ottawa’s done really well against St. Louis at home. You think back to that 8-1 win last season and you go back a few years ago to the game where it’s now very mainstream where Brady cut Jaru’s sticks. That was a 72 win at home against St. Louis. So they’ve had their number in Ottawa and we’ll see if they can continue that. Yeah. Yeah. I know it was country night last night at the CTC, Ross, but I want it to be song two night tomorrow at the CTC. Same. Yeah. Give me that via rail horn over and over and over again. All right, PZY World Junior rosters are coming out and team Sweden just named their preliminary 26-man roster that included eight defensemen and none of them are named Gabriel Elias. I don’t think that’s a huge surprise. Elias’s game translates not so strongly to international hockey where they are extremely tight when making calls. He is a guy who gives you a lot of physicality and a lot of short-handed opportunities. I went and looked short-handed opportunities. I like done that, Ross. Yeah, this is our opportunity to be short-handed here. Yeah. Uh he’s played exactly 100 OHL games now. He has nine points, a dash two, and how about this? 184 penalty minutes in 100 games. That’s including his 16 playoff games that he played with Barry last season. I don’t know if he’s still suspended right now. He was, but they’re in Ottawa tonight. So, maybe take a look at the rosters and go see uh if you want to go check out Big Gabe down against the Ottawa 67s. Uh do you know if he’s still suspended? I feel like he got a few games. His last game was uh November 29th. So I’m not sure uh where that leads him. I’m just looking at his game logs there. It was just a two. It was just a twoame suspension. Just a little break for Gabe. Just a little Just a little break. Hey, just a little break for Gabe. But uh it got us thinking like what’s the Sen prospect pool look like at the World Juniors? Uh we think they’ve got a reigning champ coming back. Be shocked if Logan Hensler’s not there. So that’s a great sign. Love it. home state game for him too in Minnesota near the rink he went to go watch hockey growing up he’s obviously having a great start to the season with Wisconsin and they’ve overperformed versus expectations but beyond that I mean that might be it pelysey for the world juniors this season I mean that is it let’s be honest like this is why I know everyone’s on the train hey let’s trade the farm let’s get uh top players in here and let’s go for it which I get that’s fine. You got to try to decide, hey, is this our window to compete? And you got to push for it. Lots of other teams and franchises do it and they’re they say FM picks and we don’t care if our prospect pool is shallower. Uh thought you were going to go with a different sword there. Yeah. Shallower than the shallow end. Um but this is this is an eyeopening exercise for us, Ross, trying to go through this and be like, “Oh, who could make it?” And there’s pretty much no one. Um, there’s there’s one one guy who I think has an outside chance and I think he’s got an inside chance for next season and that’s Luca Beckman with Team Canada. The only problem is he’s playing on the worst team in the Canadian Hockey League. Like Yeah, poor guy. They stink. He’s won four games out of 21 and he has a shut out in two of his four wins. Yeah, that’s how much goal support is. They they lost 12-1 two games ago. like it’s it’s an untenable situation long term there. But for a goalie, he’s facing over 30 shots a game and he’s learning how to bounce back. Like this makes you mentally strong as a goalender to be facing what he is. But I think that Josh Ravensburg will have the inside track to be the third goalie. He’s first round pick and they’ve got Ivan Kovic. Ivan Kovic’s been an amazing goalie at the jun junior level. He was I think a second round pick or third by Nashville this past year. And then you’ve got Carter George who’s your guy at the World Juniors this year, LA Kings draft pick there. So I don’t think Luca Beckman will be there this year, but he does have that extra year of eligibility. The only other guys who are eligible in the send system are under 20-year-old forwards. Blake Vanic with USA. He’s not making that team. And then two Russians. Russia doesn’t have a team at the World Juniors, so that’s not going to happen. and Eric Wenius with team Finland might maybe have an outside chance, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up there. A lot of people saying, “What about Carter Yakamchuck? Aren’t draft plus one guys eligible?” Well, because Yakamchuk was one of the older players in that draft class. He is not eligible to play. He turned 20 in October this year or September, October, whatever, early enough. You have to be 19 or younger at the start of the tournament. So on Boxing Day. So no Carter Yakim Chuck. He didn’t even get invited to camp last year. So yeah, but I mean at least hey, if you’re going to be a loser, at least don’t be alone. And there were a lot of player Beckett Senica wasn’t invited to that camp and he’s in the NHL scoring goals. Same as I mean, yeah, Zane Perk not not really lighting up in the NHL, but also not invited like uh it’s that was management stumbles all over the place with that Team Canada roster. So, they got to figure it out. I think that that’s being named early next week, but yeah, just to keep an eye on the prospect pool. Yeah, it’s it’s a little shallow. Hey, Bruno Een would have been eligible, but I don’t think Croatia is going to be there uh this year, unfortunately. But, uh, hey, we’ll be watching Wisconsin this weekend. They’re back in action. So, I’m I’m really looking forward to seeing them continue their journey towards the Frozen Four. They’re taking on uh Notre Dame this weekend for a pair of games after being off last weekend. They’re they’re humming right now, though. Like three huge weekends in a row for them uh before this last off one. So, I’m excited to see them play this weekend. I’m excited to see Belleville take on a divisional rival. Like, they need points so bad right now to the Belleville sends. And to have Laval coming in after you only took one out of a possible four points against them in Laval just two weeks ago. You’ve got two games coming up at CA Arena this weekend and then you’ve got Rochester next. So, three big games in the next week and a bit coming up for Belleville. So, we’ll leave it at that for today and we’ll chat with you in the postcast tomorrow unless PZY has some final thoughts on today’s show. Well, I’ll just piggyback. I was going to talk about Belleville. Uh Belleville on a 4-ame losing streak. Laval is on a fivegame winning streak and is 8-2 in their last 10. And they lead the division comfortably with a 156 and0 record, 30 points. Whereas Belleville has a 10 11-2 record, 22 points. So like you got your work cut out for you to try to stop this bleeding here. So I I need Belleville to at least get one of these two games here this weekend. I’ll tell you what though, Psey, I’ll trade a winless Belleville weekend for Ottawa to get two points over the St. Louis Blues. Deal. Done. Done. Just get all the points. We want points on this show. Yes. Yeah. Hey, we appreciate everyone. Uh lots of Spotify raps getting sent our way. Truly uh just humbling to say the least. And we appreciate everybody who enjoys spending time with us here as uh as we continue rolling on here with the season that has had number of ups, number of downs, but the thought process and the understanding of what the Senators are trying to do is still very clear that this team believes that they can be a playoff team and do some damage when they get there. But let’s hope that Shane Pinto’s injury news becomes clearer and better and that the Senators do get Artemis back in the lineup against the Blues. We’ll discuss what happens in that game right after it. It might be a little bit later tomorrow. We should note that might be a little bit later of a postcast, but if you miss it live, you got plans Saturday, whatever the case may be, we’ll have it for your audio podcast platforms and on YouTube by Sunday morning for sure. So you’ll be able to catch up on what you missed over the weekend. For today, we say goodbye for Brandon Pillar. I’m Ross Levitan. Thank you for liking, watching, listening, and engaging with the show. This has been another edition of the Locked On Senators Podcast. Your team every day.

Well that’s not how the Ottawa Senators wanted to return home to the Canadian Tire Centre.
Brandon Piller and Ross Levitan recap a 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers, where the result wasn’t the only disappointment. Shane Pinto left the game with a lower body injury and will not return tomorrow. He is added to the list of Lars Eller, Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub of hurt players. We discuss how this team can bounce back for Saturdays game against the St. Louis Blues!

00:00:00 – Senators vs. Rangers Recap & Injury Woes
00:09:41 – Analyzing Sanderson, Franchise Leaders & Team Depth
00:18:24 – Trade Chips & Prospect Talk
00:23:22 – Belleville Call-Ups & Projected Lineup Adjustments
00:29:59 – Blues Preview, World Juniors Prospects & Final Thoughts

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