ottawa @ anaheim

[Aces High]

Ottawa Senators (32-12-6-1) at Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (20-18-7-4), 10:30p.m.

(Sports Network) - The Ottawa Senators try to get back on the winning track this evening when they head to Anaheim to face off with the Mighty Ducks at the Pond.

Being in Anaheim could be the remedy, as the Senators are unbeaten in their last seven meetings (5-0-2) against the Ducks and have not lost in their last four visits to Arrowhead (2-0-2). Anaheim last defeated Ottawa in March 22, 1998 and has not claimed a victory on its ice versus the Sens since March 5, 1997.

Ottawa, which leads the NHL with 71 points, enters Wednesday's contest on the heels of blowing a one-goal third period lead in a 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars, the best team in the Western Conference, on Monday.

Martin Havlat did all the scoring for Ottawa with his third career hat trick, while Patrick Lalime made 28 saves for the Eastern Conference-leading Senators. Ottawa lost for the first time in four games (2-1-1) and fell to 7-2-1 in its last 10.

The news on Monday was not all bad for Lalime, who was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team as a reserve in place of the injured Ed Belfour. Lalime, who will be making his first appearance in the All-Star game, has a record of 23-13-6 this season with a 2.16 goals-against-average and a .913 save percentage.

Ottawa, which lost for the first time this season when leading after two periods (21-1-2), will play its final game before the break on Thursday in Los Angeles. The Senators are 8-5-1-0 against the Western Conference this year.

Anaheim also enters Wednesday's affair on a losing note after falling 3-1 to the New Jersey Devils on Friday. Adam Oates scored the lone goal for the Mighty Ducks, who fell to 5-2-0-1 in their last eight. Martin Gerber made 26 saves in defeat.

Center Andy McDonald is scheduled to return for the Ducks tonight after missing the last seven games with a concussion he suffered in Colorado back on January 9.

The Ducks, who will wrap up their pre-All-Star game schedule in San Jose on Thursday, are 2-3-1-1 in their last seven home games and 11-7-5-1 at the Pond this season.

 

[Aces High]

After losing a showdown with the Western Conference leaders, the Ottawa Senators look to get back on track when they take on the Anaheim Mighty Ducks at Arrowhead Pond.

The Senators, with the NHL's best record, suffered a 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday night at the American Airlines Center. Mike Modano had two goals and an assist as Dallas overcame 2-0 and 3-2 Ottawa leads.

Martin Havlat recorded his third career hat trick for the Senators.

``We knew it was a big game,'' Senators goalie Patrick Lalime said. ``We had our chances, but we could've been a little better. When we take the lead into the third, we're usually pretty good. Tonight, I don't know if we backed off or what.''

Ottawa will now look to focus on maintaining its lead in the Eastern Conference. The Senators seem unlikely to face much of a challenge in the Northeast Division, which they lead by double digits, but are trying to hold off New Jersey and Philadelphia for first place in the East.

The Senators, who will be playing the middle game of a three-game road trip, may be tired from consecutive overtime contests against Atlanta and Buffalo that preceded Monday's loss. Ottawa follows up Wednesday's game by playing the Los Angeles Kings the next night in its final game before the All-Star break.

The weary Senators will be facing a well-rested Mighty Ducks club that hasn't played since losing 3-1 to New Jersey on Friday.

Jay Pandolfo's third career short-handed goal broke a 1-1 tie midway through the final period as the Devils earned their sixth straight victory.

``To give up a short-handed goal like that just kills you,'' Anaheim captain Paul Kariya said. ``We put ourselves in a hole, getting down 1-0, because they're an unbelievable defensive team and they're not going to give you a lot. They've got six defensemen who can shut you down pretty well.''

The Ducks, coming off an emotional 6-5 come-from-behind victory over the Kings, managed one shot on net through the first 15 minutes.

Anaheim, completing a four-game homestand before the All-Star break, has alternated a loss with a win for five straight contests.

STANDINGS: Senators - 71 points, 1st place, Northeast Division. Mighty Ducks - 51 points, 2nd place, 19 PB, Pacific Division.

TEAM LEADERS: Senators - Marian Hossa, 33 goals and 53 points; Daniel Alfredsson, 30 assists; Zdeno Chara, 75 PIM. Mighty Ducks - Kariya, 18 goals, 29 assists and 47 points; Kevin Sawyer, 115 PIM.

SPECIAL TEAMS (through Jan. 27): Senators - Power play: 21.9 percent (56 for 256), 2nd in NHL. Penalty killing: 84.9 percent (180 for 212), 11th. Mighty Ducks - Power play: 18.9 percent (41 for 217), 7th. Penalty killing: 86.8 percent (178 for 205), 5th.

GOALTENDERS: Senators - Lalime (23-12-6, 5 SO, 2.11 GAA); Martin Prusek (9-0-0, 2.49). Mighty Ducks - Jean-Sebastien Giguere (19-15-4, 6, 2.44); Martin Gerber (1-7-3, 2.24).

SEASON SERIES: Senators, 1-0.

LAST MEETING: Jan. 16; Senators, 3-1. At Ottawa, Hossa scored his 29th and 30th goals, and Prusek came within 5:41 of the Senators' fourth straight shutout.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS:

Senators - 14-8-5-0 on the road

Mighty Ducks - 11-7-5-1 at home.

 

[Aces High]

injuries

injuries

ANAHEIM MIGHTY DUCKS - *Center Andy McDonald (concussion) is expected to play Wednesday against Ottawa. *Right wing Dan Bylsma (knee) is questionable for Wednesday's game. Left wings Kevin Sawyer (concussion) and Mike LeClerc (knee inflammation) are sidelined indefinitely.

OTTAWA SENATORS - *Defensemen Wade Redden (flu) and Curtis Leschyshyn (groin) are expected to miss Wednesday's game against Anaheim.

 

[Aces High]

Ottawa Senators (32-12-6-1) at Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (20-18-7-4)

Records
2002-03 Head-to-head record Ottawa 1-0 (1-0 at Ott; 0-0 at Ana)
2001-02 Head-to-head record Ottawa 1-0 (0-0 at Ott; 1-0 at Ana)
2000-01 Head-to-head record Ottawa 1-0 (1-0 at Ott; 0-0 at Ana)
1999-00 Head-to-head record Ottawa 2-0 (1-0 at Ott; 1-0 at Ana)
Home Record Ottawa 18-4-1-1; Anaheim 11-7-5-1
Away Record Ottawa 14-8-5-0; Anaheim 9-11-2-3
Record vs. Pacific Division Ottawa 3-2-0-0
Record vs. Northeast Division Anaheim 1-3-1-0
Record vs. Western Conference Ottawa 8-5-1-0
Record vs. Eastern Conference Anaheim 4-5-2-2

2002-2003 Meetings
01/16 - Ottawa, 3-1 (at Ott)

2001-2002 Meetings
03/10 - Ottawa, 4-2 (at Ana)

2000-2001 Meetings
03/16 - Ottawa, 4-1 (at Ott)

Game Notes
Note - Ottawa is unbeaten (5-0-2) in the last seven meetings.
Note - Ottawa is 8-3-3 in the last 14 meetings.
Note - Ottawa is unbeaten (2-0-2) in its last four at Anaheim.
Note - Ottawa is 2-3-2 at Anaheim.
Note - Anaheim is winless (0-3-1) in its last four at Ottawa.
Note - Ottawa is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games.
Note - Anaheim has won five of its last eight games.
Note - Anaheim is 2-3-1-1 in its last seven home games.

 

[Aces High]

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- The Ottawa Senators try to avoid consecutive losses for the first time in nearly three months when they visit Arrowhead Pond to face the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on Wednesday.

After missing two games with a bruised right elbow, Martin Havlat recorded his third career hat trick Monday, but Ottawa was defeated, 5-3, by the Dallas Stars on Monday.

Patrick Lalime stopped 28 shots in the contest but fell to 23-16-6. Lalime was added to Eastern Conference team for the All-Star Game on Sunday after Toronto's Ed Belfour announced Monday he would not play.

The Senators are 7-2-1 in their last 10 contests and have not lost two in a row since November 8-9.

The Mighty Ducks have lost three of their last five games following a three-game winning streak.

On Friday, Adam Oates scored his second goal of the season, but the Ducks could manage nothing else against backup Corey Schwab and were defeated, 3-1, by the New Jersey Devils. Martin Gerber fell to 0-4-1 in his last five games, but has allowed just seven goals in that span.

The Senators improved to 6-6-3 all time against the Ducks with a 3-1 home win on January 16. In that game, Marian Hossa scored twice and rookie Martin Prusek made 23 saves to improve to 8-0-0. Prusek's last start was Saturday, when he made 21 saves in a 4-3 win over Buffalo.

 

[Terryray]

good stuff aces! here's more

good stuff aces! here's more

OTTAWA (32-12-6-1) at ANAHEIM (20-18-7-4), 10:30 p.m. EST


By CHRIS STEVENSON -- For SLAM! Sports

The Ottawa Senators are in survival mode.

The top team in the NHL is limping to the towards the all-star break, hurting, burned out and hoping they can recharge their batteries over the break.

The Senators are coming to the end of a stretch that sees them playing 31 games in 58 days. The compressed schedule comes after they had a ridiculously ill-timed eight-day break just three games into the season.

The schedule has taken its toll on the club and that was evident in their third period fade agains the Dallas Stars Monday night. The Senators jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Stars, the top team in the Western Conference, but couldn't sustain it. It was the first time in 24 games this year the Senators lost after entering the third period with a lead.

Travelling from Dallas to Anaheim for the game isn't going to help.

To make matters worse, it looks like they have lost defenceman Wade Redden with a viral infection which sidelined him Monday and left the Senators with just five defencemen for the game against the Stars.

He's not expected to play tonight and defenceman Brian Pothier has been called up from the Senators American Hockey League farm club in Binghamton. Pothier was obtained from the Atlanta Thrashers for Shawn McEachern last summer. He had a good training camp, but got caught in the numbers game. He was better than Joel Kwiatkoswki, but Pothier had a two-way contract and Kwiatkowski was on a one-way and Pothier got sent down.

Pothier has had a good season on the farm. He's a good skater and puckhandler and was selected to play in the AHL all-star game.

The Ducks won't make it any easier for the Senators.

They compete hard under new coach Mike Babcock and have seen their special teams play improve. They are eighth in power play and fifth in penalty killing. The Senators own the second-best power play in the league while their penalty killing is 11th.

Given those numbers, the key matchup in the game could very well be the Ducks ability to keep the Senators from scoring with the man advantage.