The Ottawa Senators hope their stellar play to end 2024 carries over into the new year, while the Dallas Stars are looking for an elusive run of consistent success.
The surging Senators look to keep the host Stars from a third straight victory on Thursday night.
Ottawa finds itself holding the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Senators haven’t been to the playoffs since 2017, and though there’s plenty of hockey to be played, they are in solid position to end that drought.
Ottawa has 11 wins in 16 games, including a 9-3-1 record in December. The Senators are coming off a 3-1 victory at Minnesota on Sunday.
“Just got to keep building on what we’re doing right now,” said Ottawa forward Claude Giroux, who has two goals and four assists in the last seven games.
“We’re not forcing anything, not playing high-risk hockey. We’re just trying to find ways to win hockey games.”
Ottawa has done that with solid play on the road, going 9-9-1 this season. The Senators, who won just 16 times on the road in 2023-24, are 4-2-0 to start their current nine straight away from home.
“We have a group that really cares about one another,” Senators defenseman Travis Hamonic, a 15-year NHL veteran, told TSN 1200. “A lot of people say that, but with our group, it feels special.
“It’s all been nice and it’s been great, but for us, it’s about moving forward.”
Ottawa’s immediate focus is taming the Stars, who have been rather inconsistent this season. Their longest winning streak is four games, and that was to start the season.
However, Dallas is amid a 3-0-1 stretch following Tuesday’s 4-2 home victory at Buffalo.
Jason Robertson had a goal with two assists against the Sabres, while Wyatt Johnston’s goal 11:32 into the third period broke a 2-2 tie and helped Dallas improve to 14-5-1 at home.
“We just kept pushing and pushing,” said Robertson, who has five points in the last two games, and closed December with three goals and eight assists in eight contests.
Dallas’ Casey DeSmith made 21 saves on Tuesday, and has allowed just five goals while winning his last three starts. However, Jake Oettinger could be back in the Stars’ net looking to win back-to-back starts after he stopped 24 of 25 shots at Chicago on Friday to end a three-game losing streak, during which he yielded nine goals.
Meanwhile, Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark, who went 7-0-1 with a 1.30 goals-against average and posted a .956 save percentage in December, reportedly remains out with a back issue he sustained against Edmonton on Dec. 22.
Leevi Merilainen made 30 saves at Minnesota to improve to 2-1-0 with a 2.68 goals-against average this season.
However, veteran Anton Forsberg (2.95 GAA) could be ready to return from a lower-body injury that has kept him out of action since Dec. 8. Mads Sogaard has also been a goaltending option for the Senators of late.
Ottawa also could have key defenseman Artem Zub back from a foot injury that has idled him since Nov. 23.
Meanwhile, Johnston has a goal in three straight games, and eight points in Dallas’ last seven.
–Field Level Media
