Preview: Calgary Flames vs Ottawa Senators 11/30/19 (29/82): It’s All About Hockey Now

Calgary Flames vs Ottawa Senators, 5 PM MT, Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary AB

TV: TVAS, SNW, SN360, CITY – Radio: Sportsnet 960

Calgary Flames 12-12-4 (26 pts) – Ottawa Senators 11-14-1 (23 pts)

NHL Standings

The Flames return home from a fairly successful four game road trip to face the Ottawa Senators Saturday night. Calgary was able to put all the Bill Peters drama behind them with the coach resigning on Friday morning and hopefully hockey will be all that’s on the docket for the foreseeable future.

On the ice it hasn’t exactly been the best month for the Calgary Flames. Since the calendar turned to November the Flames have lost eight out of thirteen games, including a six game losing streak where they only scored five goals. They started to turn things around over the last week with two big wins over Philadelphia and Buffalo and have done so with a dramatic touch. Calgary’s last three games have all gone beyond regulation with the Flames winning once in overtime and once during a shoot out.

Things aren’t much better in the Canadian capital of Ottawa. The Senators are in 7th place in the Atlantic Division, just one slot ahead of the Detroit Red Wings. Ottawa is currently mired in a three game losing streak where they’ve been outscored 10-3, including a 7-2 beat down at the hands of the Minnesota Wild.

This game will be a tale of struggling offences. Ottawa has scored only 68 goals this season, one more than the Flames, which puts the Sens at 26th in the NHL overall. They sit 23rd in the NHL in shots per game with 30.0 and the Ottawa PP is atrocious. Calgary struggles mightily with the extra skater, but the Senators make the Flames look like a well oiled machine. The Ottawa PP is dead last in the league at 9.4%, scoring only eight out of the 85 times they’ve had the man advantage.

Calgary has played very well against Ottawa at the Saddledome recently, winning seven out of the last 10 times the Senators have come to town.

Starting Goalies (E=Expected,C=Confirmed)

Flames: Rittich (E)- 11-7-4, 2.76 GAA, .913 Save%

Senators: Nilsson (E)- 7-6-1, 2.92 GAA, .917 Save%

Team Leaders

Flames: Goals: Lindholm (12) Points: Tkachuk (23) PIM: Lucic (34) Save%: Rittich (.913)

Senators: Goals: Pageau (13) Points: Pageau (19) PIM: Borowiecki (29) Save%: Nilsson (.917)

What’s Happening With The Opposition?

Ottawa Senators Coverage: Silver Seven Sens

Last Time Out

Calgary Flames 3 – Buffalo Sabres 2 (OT)

Ottawa Senators 2 – Minnesota Wild 7

Players To Watch

Calgary Flames

T.J. Brodie (D): 2 points since returning to the lineup

Ottawa Senators

Brady Tkachuk (F): 3 points in last 5 games

by Mark Parkinson