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# Maple Leafs game preview: The final Battle of Ontario is tonight
- URL: https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/toronto-maple-leafs-game-preview-ottawa-senators-lolsnes-connor-carrick-is-in/
- Published: 2018-02-10T17:00:04.000Z
- Updated: 2018-02-10T17:00:04.000Z
- Description: Connor Carrick is in and Roman Polak is out tonight against the Ottawa Senators.
- Author: Species
- Tags: Game Coverage, #chorus, #Import 2023-04-05 10:50

### Maple Leafs vs. Senators: Game # 57

### Time: 7:00PM EDT

### Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto

### Broadcast/Streaming: Sportsnet *(no blackouts)*

**Opponent SBNation Site:** [Silver Seven Sens](https://www.silversevensens.com/?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Tonight is the last of the Battle of Ontario series in the 2017-18 season. With the Senators sitting 13 points out of the playoff Wild Card slot there’s only now a tiny mathematical possibility they will advance. It looks like Eugene Melnyk is making some changes to the front office in anticipation of a long summer.

> Pierre Dorion gets a three-year extension from [#sens](https://twitter.com/hashtag/sens?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) — taking him through 2021-22.
> 
> — Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) [February 9, 2018](https://twitter.com/reporterchris/status/962100557581176832?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

> Changes to the Ottawa Senators hierarchy as sources say Tom Anselmi has left his position as president of the Senators.
> 
> — Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) [February 9, 2018](https://twitter.com/DarrenDreger/status/962079437239078918?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Signing Dorion to an extension now is interesting. The floundering team is heading toward a critical juncture with star defenceman Karlsson due for a contract renewal by the end of next season. It is up in the air if he will actually stay or be traded at the deadline later this month.

[Various reports](https://twitter.com/kristen%5Fshilton/status/962357584001884160?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) say Mike Babcock has substituted Carrick in for Polak tonight. Josh Leivo will continue to enjoy the amenities of the press box.

### [Toronto Maple Leafs](http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/toronto-maple-leafs?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) (from morning skate)

#### Forward Lines

Zach Hyman - Auston Matthews - William Nylander   
Patrick Marleau - Nazem Kadri - Mitch Marner  
James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Bozak - Connor Brown  
Leo Komarov - Dominic Moore - Kasperi Kapanen

*Not Playing:* Josh Leivo, Matt Martin

#### Defence Pairings

Morgan Rielly - Ron Hainsey  
Jake Gardiner - Nikita Zaitsev  
Travis Dermott - Connor Carrick

*Not Playing:*  Roman Polak

#### Goaltenders

Starting:Frederik Andersen  
Backup: Curtis McElhinney

### Ottawa Senators ([from recent game](https://www.silversevensens.com/2018/2/8/16992148/game-53-preview-nashville-predators-ottawa-senators/in/16756169?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) with Stone and Brassard added)

**Forward Lines**

Mike Hoffman - Matt Duchene - Colin White  
Ryan Dzingel - Derick Brassard - Mark Stone  
Zack Smith - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Tom Pyatt  
Magnus Paajarvi - Chris DiDomenico

**Defence Pairings**

Johnny Oduya - Erik Karlsson  
Thomas Chabot - Cody Ceci  
Dion Phaneuf - Mark Borowiecki - Fredrik Claesson

**Goaltenders**

Starting: Craig Anderson  
Backup: Mike Condon

Filling out the exact lines for the Senators is a bit of challenge as coach Guy Boucher has decided to play games with eleven forwards and seven defenceman recently, plus there are two players returning from injury; Brassard and Stone.

You may recall that Stone’s injury actually happened the last time the Senators played the Leafs on January 20\. As Katya put it, “it’s one of those horrible slide knee-first into the boards. Yuck. Hate that sort of thing. He can sort of walk down the tunnel, so maybe he’s okay.” It turns out he wasn’t, and missed three weeks.

That game was also where the Leafs were down 3-1 at the end of the second period and made the big comeback, scoring three goals in the third period to win it 4-3\. Do you remember who scored the game winning goal? It was Carrick! Interesting to see he’s back in tonight against the Senators again.

But, if you really want to see the highlight of that game it was the tying goal by Marner.

We know one Senator who won’t be playing is Alexandre Burrows and that is great because no one wants him around. He is on the second game of his ten game suspension tonight.

The Senators are worn down and beaten up, sitting second to last in the Eastern Conference, ahead of only Buffalo. This should be an easy win right? But it’s these games that are always the most dangerous.

So it’s Andersen vs. Anderson on Hockey Night in Canada. Get ready!