Pittsburgh Penguins (46-25-8)
In his first chance with an NHL team, goalie Matt Murray looks to have the confidence of a veteran, starting his third-straight game tonight. Marc-Andre Fleury still has no timetable for when he will return to the net after his second concussion of the season. Jeff Zatkoff will back up Murray in tonight’s game.
With his recent play, Murray has helped solidify the depth in between the pipes. In the last 13 games, Pittsburgh is 12-1-0. The Penguins have gotten a lot of support from a variety of players, including Murray, who was recently named the NHL’s “third star” for the week ending April 3.
And, with only a few games left in the season, Pittsburgh is likely to line up as the second place team in the Metropolitan Division.
Ottawa Senators (36-34-9)
Although the Senators were eliminated from playoff contention Thursday, Ottawa’s players are still playing for their pride and have not quit trying. Ottawa has won two of its last three, most recently losing its last game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Senators forward Zack Smith said to the press, “No one wants to go out losing, so we’re going to go out there and empty the tanks.” He continued, “We’re still playing for different reasons. Some guys still have something to prove, and other guys want to keep playing well, so there’s still a lot to play for. It’s all just about staying focused here for the last week.”
Tonight’s game will feature an interesting matchup between Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson and Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang, both of whom are being considered for the Norris Trophy. Senators’ center Scott Gomez will start his second game since returning from sitting a few games out.
Prediction
The Penguins will keep rolling into the playoffs, beating the Senators, 4-1. Pittsburgh has done an outstanding job of pushing its offense as far as it can go, and with players set to come back from injury over the coming weeks, the team will only get stronger.
Where: Ottawa, Ontario, Canadian Tire Centre
When: Tuesday, April 5 @ 7:30 p.m.
Watch: ROOT, TSN5, RDS2
Image credit: Getty Images
