Pre-GAME
The Senators defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-2 to obtain some very valuable points and retain the top Wild Car Playoff position. Tonight they face the worst team in the Eastern Conference but somehow have struggled against the Sabres the entire season. Will the return of Cozen in Buffalo spark the Senators or will Josh Norris elevate his game to showcase the reason he should have remained with the Senators?
Playoff Watch: The Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks have been officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Playoff Picture: If the playoffs started today, Ottawa would face the Florida Panthers.
TO WATCH: Sens vs. Sabres at 7:00pm on TSN5
Game Day Report / Locker Room / On This Day / Around The Rink
GAME DAY REPORT
Senators vs. Sabres
Last Time: The Senators battled the Buffalo Sabres on November 5th resulting in a 5-1 loss and on January 9th being shutout 4-0. Without a win against the Sabres this season, the Senators face Buffalo tonight and again on April 1st.
Game Day: Buffalo just recently beat the Winnipeg Jets meanwhile Ottawa ended its 2-game losing streak with a victory over New Jersey.
Sabres
28-35-6
8th Atlantic
W1
3.07 (12th)
17.8 (26th)
3.53 (29th)
77.1 (19th)
Matchup
Record
Standing
Streak
Avg. Goals Scored
PP (%)
Avg. Goals Allowed
PK (%)
Senators
37-27-5
4th Atlantic
W1
2.91 (19th)
23.8 (T11th)
2.87 (12th)
77.0 (20th)
Injury Report
Senators: N. Cousins (IR-LT – Knee), N. Jensen (Lower Body)
Sabres: J. Greenway (Lower Body), J. Kulich (Concussion), J. Norris (Undisclosed), S. Lafferty (Groin)
LOCKER ROOM – JERSEY #56
Only four players have worn jersey #56 for the Senators. It was not uncommon for the Senators organization to provide a high jersey number to players who later changed to different numbers once they became established players.
Lance Pitlick changed from jersey #56 to #2 the following season while Petr Schastlivy also changed from jersey #56 to #16 the following season before changing again to jersey #13 and once again to #19.
Lance Pitlick
Petr Schastlivy
Magnus Paajarvi
Zach Sensyshyn
1994-95
1999-00
2017-18 to 2018-19
2021-22
Check Out Senators Jersey History!
ON THE BENCH
Jacques Martin (Pre-Senators)
Jacques Martin was born in Rockland, Ontario before moving to Saint-Pascal-Baylon. He taught at the Department of Physical Education at Algonquin College for seven years coaching the Rockland Nats and Hawksbury Hawks junior hockey teams.
He started his formal coaching career as an assistant coach with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL in 1983, working under Dick Todd before becoming the head coach of the Guelph Platers in 1985, taking over a rebuilding club. That year, the Platers won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Belleville Bulls in the final round, to advance to the 1986 Memorial Cup. They went on to defeat the Hull Olympiques 6-2 to capture the Memorial Cup and Jacques Martin won the Matt Leyden Trophy awarded to the best coach in the OHL.
Achieving the success at the OHL level, Jacques Martin left the Platers to become head coach of the St. Louis Blues in the NHL. He won his first NHL game as a head coach on October 9, 1986 defeating the Los Angeles Kings 4-3. The Blues made the playoffs under Martin but lost in the first round to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games.
The following season the Blues made the playoffs under Martin again, defeating the Blackhawks in 5 games but losing to the Red Wings in the division final. The Blues fired Jacques Martin after the playoff elimination. Jacques Martin joined the Chicago Blackhawks as an assistant coach to Mike Keenan from 1988-1990 before joining the Quebec Nordiques as an assistant coach to Dave Chambers in the 1990-91 season.
Martin was eventually assigned as head coach to the Nordiques AHL affiliate, Cornwall Aces for the 1993-94 season. The team earned a berth into the post seasons, defeating the Hamilton Canucks in the first round, followed by defeating the favored Hershey Bears in the second round. The Aces lost to the Moncton Hawks in the third round.
Martin returned as an assistant coach under Marc Crawford in 1994-95 seasons enjoying one of their best seasons but was upset by the eight-seeded New York Rangers in six games in the first round. After the season, the Nordiques franchise relocated to Denver, Colorado to become the Colorado Avalanche. Martin initially moved with the team however he left the Avalanche on January 24, 1996 to become head coach of the Ottawa Senators.
THE STORY CONTINUES IN OUR NEXT POST!
ON THIS DAY IN SENS HISTORY
In 2021, Anton Forsberg made his first appearance with Ottawa in a 3-2 OT loss.
In 2017, Craig Anderson became only the 6th American to appear in a 500th NHL game as a goaltender in a game against Montreal.
AROUND THE RINK
- Pat Maroon of Blackhawks to retire after the season
- Hurricanes Jarvis leaves loss to Kings after hard crash into boards
- Blue Jackets’ Monahan set for first game since Jan 7
