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SENATORS (19-15-2) at STARS (22-13-1)
Thursday, 8 p.m. ET, American Airlines Center in Dallas.
TV: TSN5 Radio: TSN 1200
Odds: Ottawa +173 Dallas -217
THE GOALIE SITUATION
Still without Linus Ullmark, whose back tightened up in a game against Edmonton on Dec. 22, the Senators had three netminders — Anton Forsberg, Mads Sogaard and Leevi Merilainen — on the ice at Wednesday’s practice in Dallas.
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Sogaard was sent back to Belleville Thursday.
Forsberg, who was injured in a pre-game warmup in mid-December, is scheduled to play Friday in St. Louis. Merilainen, who was very good in a 3-1 win in Minnesota on Dec. 29, will start against Dallas.
“It’s good to have Forsy back out on the ice, he’s getting closer,” Senators head coach Travis Green told TSN 1200’s Gord Wilson on Wednesday. “He’s been (practising) for a couple of days. You have to have depth in the goaltending position.”
GOOD FIT FOR TKACHUK
The shift to playing alongside Ridly Greig and centre Shane Pinto has been a good one, according to Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.
Tkachuk had been with Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux for a 4-2 loss in Winnipeg on Dec. 28, but Green decided to mix it up before the game in Minnesota. (Greig scored a goal.)
“There are so many great players on our team,” Tkachuk said. “I’ve played with Pints and Rids in the past. Two great guys, two great players. It’s been a lot of fun. We had a test last game and we passed with flying colours. We’re looking to build on that more. It says a lot about our team makeup and the group we have that anybody can play with anybody on any given night.”
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JAKE AND BAKE
The Stars were really good through the 2024 calendar year, with a record of 52-25-6 (110 points). There are lots of good players on the roster, but goaltender Jake Oettinger is a big reason for the success.
A giant of a goalie, at 6-6 and 224 pounds, the 26-year-old Oettinger had 41 wins in 2024, second only to the 43 by Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck.
So far this season, Oettinger, a first-round draft pick of the Stars in 2017, is 17-9-1 with a 2.38 goals-against average.
The Stars have allowed a league-best 91 goals, with backup goalie Casey DeSmith (2.37 goals-against average) also making a big contribution.
THE ROSTERS
OTTAWA
Forwards
Tkachuk/Pinto/Greig
Gaudette/Stutzle/Batherson
Cousins/Norris/Giroux
Reinhardt/Ostapchuk/Gregor
Defencemen
Chabot/Jensen
Sanderson/Hamonic
Kleven/Zub
Goaltenders
Merilainen/Forsberg
DALLAS
Forwards
Robertson/Hintz/Dadonov
Benn/Duchene/Johnston
Back/Bourque/Stankoven
Hryckowian/Steel/Blackwell
DEFENCEMEN
Heiskanen/Lyubushkin
Lindell/Lundqvist
Harley/Dumba
GOALTENDERS
Oettinger/DeSmith
INJURY REPORT
OTTAWA
D Artem Zub (IR, fractured foot); F Michael Amadio (concussion, out for a lengthy period); F David Perron (undisclosed time length, upper body); G Anton Forsberg (day-to-day, lower body); G Linus Ullmark (back, didn’t make the trip).
DALLAS
F Tyler Seguin (hip surgery, may be gone for season); F Mason Marchment (upper-body, week to week).
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