The Ottawa Senators will try to win three games in a row for the first time this season when they visit the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
The Senators should be plenty rested. They’ve been in the Los Angeles area for a few days after opening their three-game California swing with a 4-3 win against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.
The Senators took Thursday off and went through a spirited practice on Friday.
“It’s about getting the body moving again,” Ottawa defenseman Thomas Chabot said. “Days off are so big with the amount of games we play in such a short period of time. Everybody’s in a good mood coming back (Friday).”
Several players have led Ottawa, but the most surprising has been Adam Gaudette, who scored two goals against the Sharks to give him 11 goals in 21 games this season.
The most goals he’s ever scored in a season during his NHL career is 12 in 59 games with the Vancouver Canucks in 2019-20 — his second full season in the NHL.
“I’m just playing hockey, just doing my thing out there,” Gaudette said. “(I’m) playing with some great players out there, and I couldn’t do it without the guys on the ice, so I owe a lot to them.”
Gaudette has earned a spot on the top line with Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle, who also have seen their offensive numbers climb of late.
Tkachuk had two assists against San Jose to give him five points (two goals, three assists) in his past three games, and Stutzle is riding a five-game point streak (two goals, five assists).
“I just try to find him. I know he’s a goal scorer,” Stutzle said of Gaudette. “He had a couple of good looks (against the Sharks), and he could have scored more than two.”
The Kings are coming off a 2-1 win at the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. Erik Portillo made his NHL debut in goal for Los Angeles and made 28 saves to steal most of the headlines.
The Kings finally won back-to-back games after alternating wins and losses for five games.
“We’ve kind of been treading water a little bit,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said. “We really want to start stretching some wins together.”
Alex Laferriere had a goal and an assist against Anaheim to give him back-to-back multipoint games, and fellow forward Alex Turcotte scored against the Ducks to give him three points (one goal, two assists) in his past four games.
Turcotte did not have a shot on goal in the previous two games, so he didn’t hesitate to shoot the puck at the end of a 2-on-1 rush against Anaheim. Turcotte said the coaching staff has encouraged him to shoot the puck more.
“I’m trying to do all the little things out there and make plays, but I’ve still got to get the puck on net sometimes and be a little bit selfish,” he said. “I’m happy I got the opportunity (against the Ducks).”
Los Angeles defenseman Brandt Clarke comes in on a three-game point streak (one goal, two assists).
–Field Level Media
