Something Sens and Habs fans can agree on. L'Enigma in a better place in the KHL

“Here it comes/ its coming here/ and it’s here and it’s back again, also/ right now/ it’s the return/ of the..James/ Day Preview/ Thing all over the place” – Eminem, hit song about this.

Wow, thanks Eminem. Great song, even better rapping times, great friends.

Friends,
The rivalry that the land before time forgot resumes TO-NIGHT! SENS, HABS. All in. All Right guys? I don’t remember much about the last time these teams played so hold on to your novelty hockey puck shaped hat(s) as it’s bound to be a divisional hockey game! No, I think this could shape up to be a spirited affair as one team predicted to be in last place is 6 and 1 in their last 7 and looks to maintain their momentum while the other team that was expected to be their middling selves has been in large playing like toilet garbage (yes, garbage that even a toilet would disregard) and look to continue saving their coach’s job as their fans are a bunch of maniacs righting the ship.

The next stretch of games will be a test of things to come as Daniel “Al-fie, Al-fie, Al-fie” Alfredsson appears to be out indefinitely with a case of the Shannahan Blues. A test of things to come as …look, I hate to say it, but one day Daniel Alfredsson will no longer be an active NHL player and come that day the boys will need to learn how to play without the best player in franchise history. They did admirable job when he was out last season and I KNOW, I KNOW that it sucks to think about but…we’re going to get a look at the changing of the guard over the next difficult stretch. Speaking of changing of the guard…

The Battleof the Spezza vs. Backstrom that I made up for some reason: The Future Sens captain both knows and cares about my baseless rivalry between these two players and looks to pad his current 1 point lead over Backstrom. Backstrom has three games in hand Spezz if not for yourself and your fans DO IT FOR THE BLOG!

Injurious Basterds: An excuse reason behind Montreal’s early struggles is the dreaded injury bug. Former effective hockey player Scott Gomez is out with an undisclosed injury that is rumored to be Cheechooitis. UPDATE VIA @Pascal_LeClaire: ANDREI MARKOV IS INJURED, REPEAT, ANDREI MARKOV IS INJURED!!!! As is Christ Campoline. Whatever,Montreal stinks, Sens rule, moving on…
For the Sens, the Andrei Markov of forwards, Peter Regin is out (again) along with future causer of an awkward numbers game on defense Matt Carkner and Anointed One, Daniel Alfredsson They are reportedly watching a Storage Wars marathon on A&E tonight. Bibi is making her famous salted gjörfluunger fish snappers for the wounded boys!

In There Like Swimwear (slowest golf clap for that B.S.): Return of the Dogman. Coming off his first NHL goal and a non-hockey related tooth extraction, Kaspars Daugavins will no doubt be playing tonight’s game with a good luck tooth necklace and hopefully fresh Movember ‘stache a sproutin’. Could we be any more excited for this guy right now? GO DOGMAN! Guy is in my favorite Latvian since Olgerts Dunkers (RIP)!
Life-like, human sized doll Brian Lee draws into the lineup replacing David Rundblad. I gotta say, though not as much of a fan favorite, Lee deserves a game or two here and there after being such a good soldier (the uhh…last few seasons).

As Sens fans (doi), we know well of Jacques Martin’s Game of Zones (and their cloggery). Let’s hope the Sens can break on through to the other side (see picture below) and open this game up!

Things to watch for: There’s a lot of young forwards who’ll be chomping at the bit tonight  trying to solidify their place in the line up; Filatov, Daugavins, DaCosta, Condra, and Butler. Greening doesnt really count as he is kind of Gettin-R-the-Frig-DONE right now. So, anyway, will any of these dudes make it onto the score sheet tonight? I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping for Condra, Filatov or Butler to put up their first of the season. It was encouraging to see the Foligno-DaCosta-Butler line producing in the loss to Boston. After taking 2 whole games off of putting the team on their backs hopefully the Greening-Spezza-Michalek (or Green Spezzlek) line gets it going again.

Craig Anderson in to have a 200 foot staring contest with Carey Price.

The Sens need to be this if they want to secure a victory tonight.