Lottery odds on the line as Senators face Sabres
If Buffalo loses in regulation, they’ll be in last place, have best chance for top pick
Call it the Basement Bowl.
The Ottawa Senators packed their bags to head out for the final three-game road trip of the season Tuesday and as they prepare to face the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday night at the KeyBank Center, this one will go a long way in deciding who will have the best odds in the NHL draft lottery scheduled for April 28 in Toronto.
Sitting three points ahead of the 31st-ranked Sabres, a regulation loss to Buffalo would allow the Sabres to move within one point as the Senators prepare to close out the regular season with difficult back-to-back games Friday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Saturday vs. the Boston Bruins.
Both those teams are battling for playoff position in the Eastern Conference so it’s not like these will be meaningless for the Penguins and Bruins.
However, it’s not exactly meaningless for the Senators either. If they finish ranked No. 31 overall they ’ll have an 18.5 per cent chance of winning the NHL’s draft lottery while the odds will be 13.5 per cent if they stay in 30th place.
It looks like one way or another that’s where the Senators will settle in this season. If the Sabres lose in regulation they lock up last place in the NHL, if they beat the Senators in overtime there’s still a mathematical chance that Ottawa could finish in last.
The Senators are 0-1-2 against the Sabres this season.
“We want to go in and win a game,” said coach Guy Boucher. “There’s not a single game in the year that I didn’t approach the same way. I’m a competitor. There’s never been a single quit or letdown from the staff and I think it’s the same for the players.
“The circumstances have been difficult this year but every game we’ve gone into we’ve wanted to win that game. We’re going in with the mentality that our kids have to grow, our best have to lead and we’re going to do our best to win that game. Whatever happens, happens after.”
To make matters a little bit more difficult for the Senators, they were scheduled to start goaltender Mike Condon in the net but he didn’t make the trip. He was injured in practice Tuesday at home and goaltender Danny Taylor was recalled from the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville on an emergency basis.
Boucher will inform reporters Wednesday morning whether that means Anderson, who gave up five goals on 40 shots against the Jets in a 6-5 loss Monday, will get the start or if the Senators will give Taylor the chance to play. The 31-year-old has played three NHL games in his career.
OFF THE GLASS
The Senators have been impressed with the play of rookie defenceman Christian Wolanin, who scored his first NHL goal Monday.
A fourth-round pick in 2015, the 23-year-old, who signed after he completed his college career at the University of North Dakota last month, has suited up for seven games and has been solid. He was pretty excited to score that first one.
“It was pretty cool to score my first NHL goal and even cooler to look up and see the first person congratulating me was one of the best defencemen in the world,” said Wolanin, who added he got a lot of texts and will give the puck to his parents.
“I was starting to feel a bit of pressure having been pointless in six games but it was nice to get that.” Wolanin said he’s starting to feel comfortable. “It’s all been a little hectic but my thought process hasn’t changed, I just want to make the team next year and I want to be able to produce on a consistent basis this year,” he added ... There’s no update on winger Marian Gaborik. He’s out with an undisclosed injury and didn’t make the trip. Acquired from Los Angeles in the Dion Phaneuf deal in February, there’s a chance Gaborik will be bought out at the end of the season. Boucher said Gaborik has an injury issue the club is dealing with and no decision has been made on what’s next. He tweeted Tuesday night “it sucks he couldn’t finish the season” and he’s headed to Los Angeles to see a specialist and is “hoping for some encouraging news.” The possibility of surgery for whatever the ailment is hasn’t been ruled out.
THE LAST WORDS
The Senators officially assigned winger Alex Formenton to Belleville Tuesday with the OHL’s London Knights out of the playoffs. He finished with 2919-48 points in 48 games with the Knights this season. He had a strong first round with 5-2-7 points as the club was swept from the playoffs by Owen Sound.
Not only did Formenton make the Senators coming out of camp before being sent back to junior, he also won a gold medal with Team Canada at the world junior championship in Buffalo. Formenton, 18, was selected in the second round (No. 47 overall) in last spring’s NHL draft and has a chance to make the club next year in training camp. He could make his AHL debut Wednesday night against Springfield. Penn State forward Andrew Sturtz is also expected to report to Belleville in the near future. He was signed as a UFA last week and was trying to arrange to finish school while playing for the club’s AHL affiliate.