The Ottawa Senators face the Minnesota Wild with both teams heading in opposite directions to start the season. The Senators have a 14-14-2 record and are near the bottom of the Atlantic Division but have won four games in a row. The Wild have a 17-11-2 record and with four consecutive wins have leaped to the top of the Central Division. Both teams are looking to extend their winning streaks and continue to make up ground in their divisions and the upcoming game should be a good one as a result.
The Senators have won their last four games with their offense stepping up and scoring 3.07 goals per game with 15 goals in their last four games. Brady Tkachuk and Alex DeBrincat have scored 21 goals and 38 assists to lead the top line but the entire offense has stepped up. Claude Giroux, Drake Batherson, and Shane Pinto have combined for 30 goals and 36 assists while defensemen Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson have added seven goals and 21 assists from the point to open up the offense.
The offense has been great but the defense has let them down this season, allowing 3.14 goals per game. While Sanderson and Chabot have combined for 3.1 defensive point shares, the rest of the unit has struggled, allowing opponents to find open shots on the net at will. In addition, goaltender Anton Forsberg has struggled in the net with a .908 save percentage and a 3.24 goals-against average on 490 shots.