The Ottawa Senators head to San Jose on Saturday at 4 p.m. EDT to face the San Jose Sharks, carrying both a recent scoring surge from Dylan Cozens and the frustration of a one-goal overtime loss. Cozens scored two goals in Ottawa's 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, giving the Senators some offense even as the result extended a stretch that has featured too many penalties.
What Ottawa is bringing into the matchup
Ottawa's 6-5 overtime loss was a reminder that the Senators can score enough to stay in games, but they still need cleaner shifts in key moments. The team's penalty-minute rate sits at 13.1 per game, one of the highest marks in the NHL, and that discipline issue has been part of the backdrop to this road trip.
The Senators are 7-6-1 overall and 3-3-0 on the road. That gives them a slight edge in record over San Jose, but not much room for comfort in a game that already matters for positioning in the Atlantic Division.
Why the Sharks can make this difficult
San Jose comes in at 8-5-1 overall and 2-3-0 at home. The Sharks also own the last result in this season series, a 6-2 win over Ottawa in the teams' previous meeting. That makes Saturday's game a chance for the Senators to respond and even the matchup on the road.
Offensively, San Jose has had production from Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini, while Ottawa's attack has leaned on Cozens as well as Shane Pinto and Drake Batherson. For the Sharks, William Eklund and Andre Burakovsky are also among the names helping drive the scoring mix.
There are injury lists for both teams, but the broader picture is simple: Ottawa has enough offense to challenge, San Jose has been hard to handle at times, and both clubs enter the game with similar overall records. If the Senators can cut down on the penalties and get another strong night from Cozens, they will have a better chance to change the result from their first meeting this season.
