Even during the Christmas holiday season, the Battle of Ontario on Saturday is anything but a quiet affair. The Ottawa Senators will face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto, marking their first significant meeting since the Leafs eliminated the Senators in six games during last spring’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.<\/p>\n
This game is notable for the Senators as it celebrates two milestones: veteran Claude Giroux will play his 1,300th NHL game, and Xavier Bourgaud, just shy of that number in professional games, will make his NHL debut. Bourgaud, recently called up by the Belleville Senators, has had a strong start to this AHL season, with 27 points in 32 games, surpassing his total from last season.<\/p>\n
Giroux\u2019s milestone sparks Hall of Fame discussions, with his stats\u2014372 goals and 1,141 points\u2014drawing comparisons to Daniel Alfredsson. Currently on track to exceed 50 points this season, Giroux still shows no signs of stepping away from the game.<\/p>\n
The Sens are closely trailing the Florida Panthers by one point for the last wild-card spot in the East and are just two points behind the third-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division. Meanwhile, the Leafs face a tougher path, sitting at 37 points, five points behind the wild card and six behind third place in the East.<\/p>\n
Over the past two years, the Senators and Leafs have had similar regular season records, but Ottawa has won the last five regular season matchups. Confidence in Toronto has wavered recently following the firing of assistant coach Marc Savard, replaced by former NHL player Steve Sullivan. Savard managed Toronto\u2019s power play, which remains the worst in the NHL, while Ottawa boasts the league\u2019s fourth-best power play.<\/p>\n
Here are the expected lineups for both teams on Saturday:<\/p>\n
Senators:
\n– Brady Tkachuk \u2013 Tim Stutzle \u2013 Fabian Zetterlund
\n– David Perron \u2013 Dylan Cozens \u2013 Drake Batherson
\n– Michael Amadio \u2013 Ridley Greig \u2013 Claude Giroux
\n– Xavier Bourgaud \u2013 Stephen Halliday \u2013 Nick Cousins
\n– Defense pairs: Jake Sanderson \u2013 Artem Zub; Thomas Chabot \u2013 Jordan Spence; Nick Jensen \u2013 Nicholas Matimpalo
\n– Goaltender: Linus Ullmark
\n– Backup: Levi Melilainen<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs:
\n– Bobby McMann \u2013 Auston Matthews \u2013 Max Domi
\n– Matias Macelli \u2013 John Tavares \u2013 William Nylander
\n– Dakota Joshua \u2013 Scott Laughton \u2013 Steven Lorenz
\n– Matthew Nice \u2013 Nicholas Roy \u2013 Nicholas Robertson
\n– Defense pairs: Morgan Reilly \u2013 Philip Myers; Jake McCabe \u2013 Troy Stecher; Oliver Ekman-Larsson \u2013 Chris Tanev
\n– Goaltender: Joseph Wall
\n– Backup: Dennis Hildeby<\/p>\n
Written by Steve Warne, editor of Hockey News\u2019 Ottawa Senators coverage, who has closely followed the Senators since their inaugural season and hosts the Sens Nation podcast.<\/p>\n
Fan Take: This upcoming Battle of Ontario game highlights a pivotal moment for both teams, showcasing veterans like Giroux reaching career milestones while new talent like Bourgaud breaks into the NHL. For hockey fans, this match is a gripping display of tradition meeting fresh energy, with playoff positioning on the line that could shape the rest of the season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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