The Vancouver Canucks will visit the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday night for a meeting with the Ottawa Senators. The Sens know they won't make the playoffs this season, while the Canucks hope to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in years.
Ottawa Senators: focus on next season
The Ottawa Senators are a team in rebuild mode and that is reflected in the standings this season. The Sens are fifteenth in the Eastern Conference with a far from impressive record (21-31-12). They won't make the playoffs this year, but that's not a disaster. The focus was shifted to next season during the trade deadline, as Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ottawa's leading scorer, was traded to the New York Islanders. Ottawa got a trio of draft picks in return — a conditional 2020 first, a 2020 second and a conditional 2022 third.
With the departure of Pageau, Brady Tkachuk is now leading the charge for Ottawa with 38 points (18 goals, 20 assists). The Sens lost four of their last five games and will have to try to finish the season on a positive note. Last Tuesday, Ottawa played an away game in Tennessee against the Nashville Predators. In a strong first period, the Sens took a 2-1 lead, but then was defeated thanks to two power playgoals from the Preds.
Vancouver Canucks: aiming for a division title
The Vancouver Canucks haven't been able to qualify for the playoffs in the last four seasons, but this could this season. The current second place in the Pacific Division is good for a guaranteed playoff ticket at the end of the regular season, the Pacific is crowded this season, as the fourth placed Calgary Flames follow on only two points.
Through a trade, Tyler Toffoli recently came over from Los Angeles. The winger was the most leading scorer for the Kings this season and will certainly be a reinforcement for the Canucks in the coming months. After a big 9-3 win over the Boston Bruins, Vancouver played against the Montreal Canadians last Tuesday. The Canucks fought back twice from a deficit and it was Toffoli who made the winner in overtime.
Canucks in regulation
The Pacific Division is not very strong this season and this gives the Vancouver Canucks the perfect opportunity to win a division title. Against the low-ranked Ottawa Senators, no points should be lost this late in the season. Markstrom is injured so the Canucks have to rely on their backup goalie Demko, who isn't having a great season, but that also goes for Hogberg, the goalie of the Sens. With Pageau's departure almost all of Ottawa's offensive punching power is gone. Vancouver has six players with 40 points or more, Ottawa none.
