Senators Game: Kleven returns as Ottawa faces a must-win Game 3
Tyler Kleven is back in the lineup for the senators game on Thursday night, giving Ottawa a needed boost on defense as it hosts the Carolina Hurricanes at Canadian Tire Center in Kanata, Ont. The Senators trail 2-0 in the Eastern Conference First Round and are trying to stay alive in the best-of-7 series. Puck drop is set for a little after 7: 30 p. m. ET.
Kleven cleared to rejoin Ottawa
Kleven has missed Ottawa’s last nine games, dating back to the regular season, and sat out the first two playoff games after suffering a broken jaw on April 2. He said he feels ready after getting in plenty of skates, and he has been wearing a protective shield during practices. In the senators game, Ottawa is counting on him to help stabilize a blue line that has been under heavy pressure.
The 24-year-old defenseman said he plans to play the same simple, straightforward style that has defined his game in two full seasons with the Senators. In 70 regular-season games, he recorded 18 points, including three goals and 15 assists, while posting a plus-2 rating and averaging 17: 21 of ice time. Ottawa also will insert Cameron Crotty into the lineup for his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut, while Lassi Thomson and Dennis Gilbert will be scratched.
Ottawa needs a response at home
The Senators are returning home after opening the series in Raleigh and coming away empty-handed. Ottawa was shut out in Game 1 and then lost 3-2 in double overtime in Game 2 on Monday, a result that left the club facing the hard edge of a 2-0 deficit. The senators game now shifts to a building where the pressure is immediate: the team must win to avoid falling behind 3-0.
That challenge is made more urgent by the workload on Ottawa’s top defenders. Jake Sanderson played 43: 06 in Game 2, while Thomas Chabot logged 40: 50. Through the playoffs, both have been averaging more than 30 minutes per game because of a Game 1 injury to first-pair defenseman Artem Zub.
Immediate reactions from the room
Kleven said he is eager to get back into the fight, even with the series situation hanging over the club. “I feel good, I’m rested, got plenty of skates in, ” Kleven said. “I’m ready to go. ”
He also pointed to the effort from Ottawa’s overworked defenders. “They are warriors; I see it all season, ” Kleven said. “They go out and compete. They have a lot of heart. I want to go to battle with them every day. ”
Chabot welcomed the reinforcement, and Ottawa is hoping the return of Kleven brings both size and toughness against Carolina’s pressure. The senators game also carries a steep historical warning: teams that take a 3-0 lead in a best-of-7 series have gone on to win nearly every time, and Ottawa is trying to keep that door from opening.
What comes next
Ottawa enters the senators game with the series in a dangerous place and little margin for error. If the Senators can defend home ice, they can turn the matchup back into a fight; if they cannot, Carolina will move within one win of advancing. The next step begins with Kleven’s return and a defense that must hold up under another fast, physical night in Kanata.
