Recap: Senators at Canucks

Recap of the Senators game against the Vancouver Canucks in the first stop of a five-game road trip

January 02, 2024

How to watch: TSN5 / RDS2

How to listen: TSN 1200 / Unique FM 94,5

When: 10 p.m. EST

Where: Rogers Arena

The Senators have hit the road again for another five-game road trip, their second in the last month. The opponent tonight is a juggernaut as they're set to face the Pacific Division leading Vancouver Canucks. This is the second meeting between the two sides this season with Vancouver taking the first outing 5-2 at Canadian Tire Centre back on Nov. 9.

The Senators come into tonight winners in three of their last four games and showing great signs of improvement. After falling to New Jersey late last week, they followed up with a big bounce back effort against Buffalo on Sunday downing the Sabres 5-1. The key to the Senators success in those three games is the sheer depth they have utilized to score. 11 different skaters scored over the three wins against Pittsburgh, Toronto and Buffalo, with no one scoring more than twice.

Tonight will be a real test for the Senators penalty facing Vancouvers ninth ranked power play converting a whopping 23.6% of their chances this season. With Thomas Chabot back in the fold after missing 12 games before Buffalo, the penalty kill unit gets a welcomed addition both on and off the ice. 

Last game we saw Erik Brännström take on a new role in an effort to give the team a boost, lining up as the fourth line left winger. To say that he had a strong outing feels like an understatement. Playing in an uncomfortable position for the sixth-year defenceman, Brännström was able to tally an assist while almost delivering a spectacular spinorama goal near the end of regulation. It's yet to be determined if we will see him line up as a forward again but if he does the Senators are in capable hands.

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Vancouver comes into tonight looking to rebound from a loss to Philadelphia following their nine-game point streak. Over their last ten the Canucks have gone 7-1-2 to put themselves in a tie for top of the Pacific with Vegas while holding two games in hand. After finishing sixth in the division last season, the Canucks have seen perhaps the largest turnaround this season led in large part by the breakout season by captain Quinn Hughes who has 45 points in 36 games, on pace for just the 16th 100-point season by a defenceman in NHL history. 

Beyond Hughes the Canucks have a bevvy of weapons such as JT Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Brock Boeser all averaging over one point per game with 48, 43 and 38 points respectively. Boeser leads the team in goals this season, emphasized by his play on the power play where he already has nine goals. An absolute key to finding the win tonight will be slowing down this core. Easier said than done.

There will be no changes to the line-up tonight. Below is how the Senators lined up at morning skate:

Hear from interim head coach Jacques Martin and forwards Dominik Kubalik and Brady Tkachuk ahead of the Senators taking on the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.

For the second straight game Anton Forsberg gets the start between the pipes and we are live with Sens hockey from Rogers Arena!

Goal: Ian Cole puts a wrist shot past Forsberg to open the scoring at the 17:46 mark of the first. 1-0 VAN

Goal: Pius Suter grabs the puck out of the air off a shot that comes off the boards and puts it past Forsberg to make it 2-0 VAN with 7:21 remaining in the period.

Goal: Elias Pettersson puts a wrist shot past Forsberg and it's 3-0 with 3:26 left in the first.

Goal: J.T. Miller tips a shot from Nikita Zadorov to make it 4-0 Vancouver with 3:02 to play.

The Senators make a goaltending change, Joonas Korpisalo is now in net.

Penalty: Zack MacEwen is called for roughing Noah Juulson at the 17:21 mark and the Canucks will have the first try on the power play.

Goal: Elias Pettersson converts on the power play for his second of the game to make it 5-0 with 2:07 left to play.

Goal: Brady Tkachuk feeds Claude Giroux in front of the net who pulls it back to deke out the defence and goaltender before snapping it home in the wide open net just 1:31 into the middle frame. 5-1 VAN

OTT@VAN: Giroux scores goal against Thatcher Demko

Penalty: Sam Lafferty is called for holding Drake Batherson at the 11:44 mark and the Sens will get their first try on the man advantage. 

Vancouver penalty kill walks away from this one and we're back to even strength.

Goal: Claude Giroux waits out the defence and feeds Vladimir Tarasenko on the left side of the net who puts a wrist shot away to make it 5-2.

OTT@VAN: Tarasenko scores goal against Thatcher Demko

Goal: Vladimir Tarasenko battles in front of the net and scores his second of the game to make it 5-3 with 2:33 left to play

Goal: Pius Suter's shot takes a weird bounce and finds the back of the net with to re-establish Vancouver's three goal lead with 2:18 left to play.