Week 4 Preview: Didn't We Just Play These Guys?

by The Boys From The Blog

After losing both games last week (including one ASTRONOMICALLY, INTER-PLANETARILY EXCITING game the New Jersey Devils), the Sens are back at it again with a game in Columbus, then back at home against Chicago and then back on the road in Boston. Don't forget your air miles cards, boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Ok, that's probably enough punctuation. Or is it?????

(Yes, it is).

Stories to watch for

October 28 @ Columbus

This team is un-bearable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last week when the Blue Jackets marched into Ottawa the big story line was, of course, the long-anticipated homecoming of former Ottawa Senators mainstay Curtis McElhinney. The London native better known as "Ol' Spellcheck" spent a memorable few years months weeks in Ottawa earlier in his career and fans were eager to see how he'd perform in his return to the Nation's Capital.

Sadly, Nick Foligno didn't appreciate anyone stealing his prodigal son spotlight and took McElhinney out midway through the game, robbing fans of the closure they so desperately sought. Well it appears Ol' Spellcheck felt the same, going to the extraordinary measure of BREAKING SERGEI BOBROVSKY'S HAND to ensure he got the start in the rematch.

Also, Jack "I made people feel sympathy for Steve Downie once" Johnson is a big, mean man after what he did to Mark Stone last game:

(Also: why was he even pinching there?)

Although anybody who has followed Johnson's music career wouldn't be surprised by this.

That's the joke

Oct 30th vs Chicago

There are 172 infuriating things in this picture. First person to identify them all wins.

Ottawa's last game against the Blackhawks left us with more questions than answers. Questions like "Can we not watch Patrick Wiercioch vs. Jonathan Toews one-on-one again?" "Would it have killed Chris Phillips to tie the game right there?"and "Is a back transplant a medically viable procedure, and will it help Marc Methot get back into the lineup quicker?" Last week Ottawa helpfully gave 6'6" Scott Darling a win in his first career NHL game and will be looking for revenge in the rematch against the goaltender who presumably is dressing up as Ben Bishop for Halloween this year.

Expect Sens fans to spend most of the game swooning at aging legend Marian Hossa -- much in the same way your mom swoons at Paul Gross. 

Nov 1st @ Boston

The Bruins without Chara

Ah, the Boston Bruins. No matter how many franchise players they trade away or how many key pieces they lose to injury, they just keep reliably chugging along. They are the Bizzaro Edmonton Oilers. Tuukka Rask is currently sporting a cool .897 Sv%, Patrice Bergeron (whose name is contractually obligated to appear next to the phrase "One of the best defensive centres in hockey") is a -2 through 10 games and doctors have determined that Loui Eriksson's case of "Not Being Tyler Seguin" is terminal. Yet the Bruins still have a .500 record through 10 games. They are as unkillable as they are unlikable (spoiler: that's a lot).

The good news is that Zdeno Chara's injury will mean that John Muckler will be able to watch the game with less crippling regret than usual.

Wrap-up

• Current Record: 4-2-1
• Team Injuries: Marc Methot (Back) Patrick Weircoch (Unreasonably High Expectations)
• Advanced stat of the week: Times Curis Lazar has missed curfew at the Phillips compound: 1