(Photo credit score: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)
The Ottawa Senators broke their eight-season playoff skid final spring below new coach Travis Green and can look to take the subsequent step this marketing campaign.
In a season-opening Atlantic Division matchup Thursday evening, the Senators will sq. off with one of many Eastern Conference groups they may meet within the playoffs, the host Tampa Bay Lightning.
Green’s group managed to go 45-30-7 for 97 factors in 2024-25, falling only one shy of the third-place Florida Panthers, for the squad’s first playoff berth since 2017 because the No. 1 wild-card membership. The Senators fell within the first spherical to the provincial rival Toronto Maple Leafs in six video games.
The Canadian capital’s crew shored up its again finish and added playoff expertise by buying former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jordan Spence within the offseason for 2 picks within the June draft.
The 24-year-old Spence, the NHL’s first non-goaltender with Japanese citizenship, will doubtless be paired on the third line with Tyler Kleven.
‘I believe I’m turning into extra mature, on the ice, on what to anticipate throughout playoff video games, and what to do, and what it takes to win playoff video games,’ mentioned the right-handed-shooting Spence, who was born in Australia, quickly moved to Japan and ended up on Prince Edward Island at 13.
Top-pairing blueliner Thomas Chabot mentioned there was nice worth in making the postseason and competing within the Battle of Ontario.
‘We type of set the usual of when you get within the playoffs, you wish to simply be again there yearly,’ mentioned Chabot. ‘I believe all of us went via the method of being on that stage and enjoying there for the primary time.’
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay had a incredible however grueling preseason, posting a 6-1-0 mark that included two fierce matches final week towards the arch-rival Panthers, who beat the Lightning in 5 video games within the first spherical en path to their second consecutive Stanley Cup title.
However, Saturday’s preseason finale in Sunrise was a brawler, because the groups confirmed as much as do something however play hockey and demonstrated that the Sunshine State rivalry is as nasty as ever.
The golf equipment mixed for an almost unbelievable 322 penalty minutes — a fight-fueled quantity that may have ranked ninth-most in NHL historical past had it occurred within the common season.
Florida received 7-0 and went 4-for-20 on the facility play, and 16 gamers had been ejected within the blow-for-blow blowout.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety handed out a $100,000 positive to the Lightning and a $25,000 one to teach Jon Cooper. Top-pairing defenseman J.J. Moser’s two-game suspension will maintain him out this week.
When Tampa Bay launched its roster, it added two large forwards — 6-foot-9 enforcer Curtis Douglas and 6-foot-6 Jack Finley — doubtless for a 3rd straight postseason tussle with the champs.
‘I take a look at it as guys sticking up for one another and doing what they really feel they must,’ Cooper mentioned of the Florida feud. ‘I assume you get that in a rivalry that is constructed up over these two groups up to now six, seven years.’
Tampa Bay will once more depend on Nikita Kucherov, the group’s all-time help chief (637) who has received the previous two Art Ross trophies and is six factors from reaching 1,000.
Another 80-assist effort would mark the fourth straight for Kucherov, 32, who would tie Wayne Gretzky (13 consecutive seasons) as the one gamers with not less than 4 straight seasons of 80 or extra assists.
–Field Level Media