The Ottawa Senators had their home winning streak snapped by a hot goaltender in their last game, but that won't be the case on Saturday.
The Senators look to get back on track and pick up a point for the seventh straight home game in a matchup with the struggling Winnipeg Jets.
Ottawa (6-3-2), though, may have to get it done without its No. 1 netminder. Craig Anderson was given the day off at practice Friday and may not start after going 1-2-1 in his last four starts. He is, however, 7-1-1 with a 2.43 goals-against average in his last nine games against the Jets.
If coach Paul MacLean decides to rest Anderson, Ben Bishop would make his second start of the season and first since a 6-4 loss at Tampa Bay on Jan. 25.
The Senators peppered Carolina's Cam Ward with a season-high 47 shots on Thursday, but had their three-game home win streak ended with a 3-2 overtime loss.
"We played such a good game, but credit to their goalie as he kept them in the game,'' said captain Daniel Alfredsson, who scored in his second straight game. "We had our opportunities to put it away and couldn't."
Ward proved too much for an Ottawa offense that has managed only seven goals in its last four games.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson took over the team lead with his fifth goal on Thursday. He has scored in back-to-back games after failing to score in his previous six.
Karlsson also scored and set up two other goals in Ottawa's season-opening 4-1 win at Winnipeg (4-5-1) on Jan. 19.
Despite Thursday's overtime loss, MacLean was happy with his club's effort.
"We want to come back and reproduce that game again and again and again and again,'' he said. "We feel we'll get a much better result if we reproduce that game at that level and at that tempo."
The Jets lost for the fourth time in five games, blowing a third-period lead in a 3-2 defeat to visiting Toronto on Thursday.
"When we've got a 2-1 lead going into the third, you've got to be smarter and you've got to close out those games,'' said Bryan Little, who had a pair of assists.
Ondrej Pavelec struggled again, stopping 15 of 18 shots in the loss. He has lost four of his last five starts, posting a 4.26 goals-against average. He's been even worse during a personal three-game road skid, compiling a 5.85 GAA.
Facing the Senators hasn't been a good way for Pavelec to get back on track. He's lost four straight starts in the series with a 4.34 GAA.
Winnipeg continues to get much of its offense from one of the NHL's highest-scoring defenses. Defenseman Tobias Enstrom leads the team with 13 points, tallying two goals and 10 assists during an eight-game scoring streak.
The Senators are 6-1-2 in their last nine meetings with the Winnipeg-Atlanta franchise.
Milan Michalek has six goals and an assist in his last five games against the Jets.
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