The Ottawa Senators’ recent surge in goal production comes just in time to possibly generate some needed offense on the road.
It could also extend the struggles of the Nashville Predators, who have lost three straight ahead of Monday’s visit from a Senators squad seeking its fifth straight win.
Ottawa is coming off a perfect four-game homestand, during which it outscored its opponents 16-6. Eleven of those goals came in the last two games, highlighted by Saturday’s 6-0 rout of Minnesota.
Defenseman Jake Sanderson had a goal with three assists on Saturday, while Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson and Brady Tkachuk combined for three goals and five assists. The Senators recorded three third-period power-play goals against the Wild and also notched their fourth short-handed tally in three games.
“(The win) gives us, obviously, a lot of confidence,” said Stutzle, who also received a cut to his head courtesy of a cheap take down from Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman. “We know every game is big for us right now. We’ve just got to keep chipping away. “
Ottawa has gone 9-2-1 since Jan. 9 and is currently in position to end a seven-year playoff drought.
“We haven’t accomplished anything yet,” Stutzle said. “We want to get further and keep playing the way we’ve been playing.”
The immediate focus for the Senators is to turn things around on the road. They entered their four-game homestand coming off a 5-0 loss at the New York Rangers and a 2-0 defeat at Boston. Prior to that, Ottawa won three straight away from home.
Stutzle, who has seven points (two goals, five assists) during Senators’ winning streak, posted two assists during a 3-1 win over Nashville on Dec. 7.
The Predators had their four-game home winning streak end with a 3-1 loss to Vancouver last Wednesday. That setback was part of Nashville’s current four-game slide – which followed a season-high stretch of five consecutive wins.
Juuse Saros made 33 saves Saturday, but the Predators managed just 25 shots on goal during a 3-0 defeat at Pittsburgh.
“We’re obviously in a funk here,” said Nashville’s Steven Stamkos, who has been held without a point over his last four games.
“We’ve just got to try to get some mojo back a little bit, and just start feeling better about our game, a little more confidence with the puck.”
Top scorer Filip Forsberg (18 goals, 31 assists) has gone three straight games without a point for the Predators, who have totaled just six goals during their four-game skid.
Saros (2.84 goals-against average) has lost three straight starts, while backup Justus Annunen has allowed nine goals in his last two outings for Nashville.
Ottawa rookie Leevi Merilainen (1.99 goals-against average) stopped all 16 shots he faced Saturday for his third shutout in 11 starts this season. Merilainen could get the nod ahead of Anton Forsberg, who has stopped 49 of 51 shots in his last two road starts.
The Senators could also welcome back goaltender Linus Ullmark, who has been dealing with a back injury since Dec. 22. Ullmark is 7-1-0 with a 1.08 GAA and .963 save percentage in his last eight starts for Ottawa.
Sanderson has two goals and six assists in his last four contests for the Senators.
Nashville center Tommy Novak has posted two goals with three assists in his last three home games.
