It’s St. Pats night part two for the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening as they head to Ottawa for a clash with the Senators.
Back-to-backs are never easy. Gearing up to play a bonafide NHL opponent less than 24 hours after doing the exact same thing the night before is, in equal parts, physically draining and emotionally taxing. Therefore, sweeping both games of a back-to-back is one of the most difficult feats in hockey.
But if it is bound to happen against any team, that team would be the Ottawa Senators.
To call the Senators “bad” this season would be to do their true ineptitude an unconscionable injustice.
Ottawa sits dead last in the NHL standings right now, four points back of the 30th place Los Angeles Kings. Their 24 wins through 71 games are the fewest of any team in the league at the moment and their corresponding .380 winning percentage measures out as a league-worst metric, as well. If that wasn’t enough, the Senators also have the fewest road victories, third fewest home victories, the third worst goal differential, the fourth fewest ROW, and the ninth worst penalty kill.
They aren’t just bad. They’re terrible, and should theoretically be nothing but cannon fodder for this Leafs team, even if they are playing their second game in as many nights.
Justin Holl Back For More
It seemed as if this day would never come.
No lineup changes in Ottawa tonight for the Leafs, per Babcock. We have a Justin Holl back-to-back, ladies and gentlemen.
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) March 16, 2019
Yes, Justin Holl will indeed be suiting up in consecutive games for the first time this season, with Igor Ozhiganov set to watch from the rafters once more.
This extended audition is certainly a warranted one by Holl. Playing only sparing minutes in last night’s slugfest with the Philadelphia Flyers, Holl still managed to register an assist on Martin Marincin‘s goal in the third period, giving him as many primary helpers this season as Nikita Zaitsev.
Zaitsev has played in all 71 games thus far. Tonight will be Holl’s 7th.
Fun!
Sparks Shot at Redemption
For the second night in a row, one of Toronto’s netminders will look to redeem themselves after a lacklustre stretch.
Garret Sparks is the goalie in question tonight, getting the start for just the 17th time this season, per DailyFaceoff, and hoping to earn his first win since February 2nd. There may be no better team for Sparks to get back on track against than the fledgeling Senators.
If he can’t put on a dominant showing against Ottawa’s Anthony Duclair-led attack, the Leafs may have bigger problems than they thought.
Puck drops at 7 PM.