Canadian Tire Centre Showdown: Ottawa Senators Face Washington Capitals
As the Ottawa Senators gear up to face the Washington Capitals at the Canadian Tire Centre, fans are eager to see if their team can continue their recent performance trends. The Senators have shown a promising uptick in form, with a notable victory in their last game against Tampa Bay Lightning. They secured a 5-2 win, showcasing an impressive shooting percentage of 13 percent and capitalizing on even-strength opportunities by netting all five goals during regular play.
The team's goaltending has been solid, with a save percentage of 92 percent against the Lightning. However, it's worth noting that while they won this game, they suffered a loss against Carolina Hurricanes prior to that. Despite scoring three goals and achieving a shooting percentage of 10 percent in that match-up, they were outplayed by the Hurricanes who managed five goals on an almost equal number of shots.
One area where the Senators will need to focus is faceoffs; they've been winning less than half overall across recent games. This could be crucial against the Capitals who may look to dominate puck possession.
Special teams have also been contributing well for Ottawa; despite not scoring on powerplay opportunities against Tampa Bay, they had previously capitalized on such chances by scoring three powerplay goals versus Philadelphia Flyers.
Defensively speaking, blocked shots and takeaways have been areas where Ottawa has performed reasonably well but will need to maintain this level of play especially when facing off against high-caliber teams like Washington.
In conclusion, as we approach this exciting fixture at Canadian Tire Centre scheduled for October 18th at 7:00 PM EST (23:00 UTC), fans should expect an energetic battle between these two teams. With both sides showing different strengths and weaknesses over their past few games, it's set up to be an intriguing contest. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ or MNMT channel 642 for those following away from home.