Struggling rivals renew Battle of Ontario
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 | 12:21 PM ET
by Brandon Hicks, CBC Sports
Toronto defenceman Francois Beauchemin, left, had a goal and an assist against Calgary on Saturday, while Ottawa's Jason Spezza (19) is one goal away from the 150-mark for his career. (Dave Sandford/Getty Images)If the Ottawa Senators want to feel better about their disappointing start to the season, all they need to do is look down the road at provincial rival Toronto.
Though the Sens (8-6-3) sit three spots out of the playoffs and are 1-2-1 in their last four games, that record pales in comparison to the Maple Leafs' struggles.
Toronto (3-10-5) is off to its worst start in franchise history, sitting 29th overall in the NHL. After a promising run of play that saw the Leafs pick up points in seven straight games (3-0-4), the Leafs have regressed and are mired in an 0-3-0 slump.
The two rivals will try to climb out of the doldrums when they clash Tuesday night in Ottawa (7:30 p.m. ET).
Both sides are coming off losses. Toronto dropped its third straight game during a 5-2 loss against Calgary at home on Saturday as rookie goaltender Jonas Gustavsson was yanked after giving up three goals on his first five shots.
On the same night, the Senators couldn't take advantage of an overtime power play and eventually fell 2-1 after a marathon shootout against the New York Rangers.
"It's frustrating. We need the two points," captain Daniel Alfredsson said. "We take a couple of penalties down the stretch that tire us out and we didn't have the push we wanted to in overtime.
"We had our chances in the shootout, but it's a bit frustrating we can't win this game."
Identity crisis
Both squads are also suffering from an identity crisis in net. Gustavsson looks poised to nab the eventual No. 1 spot in Toronto, but his shaky play on Saturday combined with a couple of solid nights of work from a struggling Vesa Toskala makes the choice in net difficult for the Leafs.
Toskala will get the nod Tuesday, likely due to his 6-1-1 record, 2.23 goals-against average and two shutouts in his last eight starts against the Sens.
Ottawa backup goalie Brian Elliott turned away 27 of 28 New York shots while taking the loss on Saturday in place of the slumping Pascal Leclaire, who has given up 11 goals in his last three games (1-2-0), but Leclaire is getting the start in net against Toronto.
If you want to determine a key to the game, the first 20 minutes might be a good place to start.
The Leafs have been out-scored 23-9 in the first period this season and have allowed the first goal in 16 of their 18 games. This includes going down 2-0 a whopping 10 times in those 18 contests, eight of which happened in the opening period.
"I don't have one," Toronto head coach Ron Wilson said when asked for a reason why Toronto has struggled early in games. "I'm sorry."
But the game could also turn in the third, as the Sens have blown leads in three of their last four contests and have been out-scored 6-1 in the final frame during that span.
Spezza close to career marker
Ottawa's Jason Spezza will have some added motivation Tuesday as he only needs one goal to hit 150 for his career. The 26-year-old has one goal and nine assists in his last 11 games.
Toronto's Phil Kessel has a five-game point streak going and has four goals with three assists in six games after missing the first 12 following shoulder surgery.
Five of the last seven Toronto-Ottawa games have been decided by one goal. The Senators are 5-1-3 in one-goal games this season and the Leafs are 1-2-5.
On the injury front, Toronto defenceman Mike Komisarek is still on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury. Ottawa defender Anton Volchenkov is still about a week away from returning from an elbow injury.
With files from The Associated Press
