Stalberg could give Sens’ lineup a boost in Game 2
Guy Boucher could be presented with the option to make changes for Monday’s Game 2.
Since the Ottawa Senators decided to cancel their scheduled skate Sunday at PPG Paints Arena and take a day off, it’s hard to tell if the club’s head coach will make changes to the roster after a 2-1 victory over the Penguins Saturday in Game 1.
Judging by the way Boucher has operated with his roster in the past, he’ll be reluctant to make a move even if winger Viktor Stalberg, who missed Game 1 with an undisclosed injury, is ready to return. He skated with the scratches at the rink and a determination will be made at game time.
“We could have him. We’ll see. He’s going on the ice” for the first time since suffering the injury last Tuesday. “We’ll see where that takes us,” Boucher said.
Stalberg is one of the club’s most valuable penalty killers, but the Senators did a solid job without him, holding the Penguins to 0-for-5 on the power play.
If Stalberg is ready, the Senators could scratch winger Ryan Dzingel. He was added to the roster to provide more speed, but had no shots and only 9:39 of playing time. The other possibility is winger Tommy Wingels, but he was brought in to provide experience and that counts for a lot.
There was also a small update on the status of defenceman Mark Borowiecki, who hasn’t played since the opening round.
“It’s moving along,” Boucher said. “Right now, the information I get is he could be back in the series.”