Opinion
3 min read

CAA Arena Showdown: Ottawa Senators Face Off Against Toronto Maple Leafs

As the Ottawa Senators gear up to host the Toronto Maple Leafs at CAA Arena, fans are eager for what promises to be an electrifying game. The Senators have had a rollercoaster ride in their recent matchups, but there's a palpable sense that they're on the cusp of something great.


Dec 9, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Ottawa Senators right wing Mathieu Joseph (21) looks on during the first period at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bradshaw Sevald-USA TODAY Sports

In their last encounter with the Winnipeg Jets on September 28, despite a valiant effort and racking up 24 hits and 27 shots on goal, the Senators fell short with a score of 3-5. Their shooting percentage was modest at 11 percent and faceoff wins were low at just over 40 percent. The powerplay opportunities didn't translate into goals, leaving room for improvement in special teams execution.


However, looking back at their performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs on September 24 provides some optimism. The Senators turned around a scoreless first two periods with an explosive third period scoring four goals to secure a win with a final score of 4-2. This shows that when push comes to shove, OTT has the firepower and resilience to mount impressive comebacks.


The key takeaway from these games is that consistency is crucial for OTT. They've demonstrated they can deliver under pressure but need to maintain intensity throughout all three periods. Their physical game is strong as evidenced by their high hit counts across games; however, they must capitalize more effectively on powerplay chances and improve faceoff win percentages which have been less than stellar.


On defense, goaltending will be critical as well – while saves percentages have been decent overall; there's room for improvement especially during shorthanded situations where they've allowed goals against.


The Maple Leafs are not opponents to take lightly either; boasting higher shooting percentages in past games and better faceoff win rates than OTT suggests they'll be formidable adversaries once again.


As we look ahead to this matchup scheduled for September 30 at CAA Arena in Belleville at 7:00 PM EST (23:00 UTC), it's clear that if Ottawa can harness their third-period energy from previous games while tightening up defensively early on, they stand more than just a fighting chance against TOR – they could very well dominate them.


Fans won't want to miss this clash between these two Canadian teams which will be broadcasted nationally via ESPN+ online and internationally through SN1 TV network.

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