Perron ready to return to Senators, but Norris won’t play

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“It’s good to have him back,” coach Travis Green says of David Perron’s return. “He’s been out for a while.”

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Help is on the way for the Ottawa Senators.

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Veteran winger David Perron, who has only suited up for nine games this season, is expected to suit up for the first time since Nov. 23 when the Senators face the Boston Bruins on Thursday night at TD Garden.

“It’s good to have him back,” coach Travis Green told TSN 1200’s Gord Wilson on Wednesday. “He’s been out for a while.”

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Struggling with a back injury that has forced him to miss 26 straight games, the 36-year-old Perron was a full participant in the club’s 25-minute skate and will likely take the place of injured centre Josh Norris.

“I’ve been feeling a lot better,” Perron told Wilson. “It’s exciting to be on the road and around the guys the last few days. You get the itch to play and it’s been a long time coming so I’m pretty excited.

“My game is pretty simple. I’m not going to go out there and try to change anything, I’m just going to try to add to the team play and they’ve been playing really well. We should be proud with the way the guys have played so far.”

Ottawa Senators centre Josh Norris and New York Rangers centre Mika Zibanejad attempt to win a faceoff
Ottawa Senators centre Josh Norris and New York Rangers centre Mika Zibanejad attempt to win a faceoff in the first period on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in New York. Norris would later leave the game with an injury and has been ruled out for the weekend. Photo by Noah K. Murray /AP

Norris, who left the club’s ugly 5-0 loss to the New York Rangers after the first period on Tuesday night, wasn’t on the ice in Boston and Green said he’s out for the weekend with an upper-body injury.

Norris got caught up with New York’s Vincent Trocheck near centre ice in the first, but didn’t return for the second after his chin slammed onto the ice.

The club said he was held out for precautionary reasons.

This will be a pivotal two points in the battle for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

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There’s nothing the Senators can do about the ugly loss they suffered to the Rangers, except turn the page and try to get back on track to wrap up this road trip.

This is hardly a time to panic because the Senators are in the thick of the playoff race, they control their destiny and they have plenty of racetrack left to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

“The last month, we’ve been playing some good hockey,” alternate captain Claude Giroux said. “There are 82 games and sometimes it doesn’t click as well. It’s about how you respond. For us, we have to keep doing what we’re doing, and play hard and good defensively.”

The loss in New York did serve as a reminder that, even with a 5-1-1 record in their last seven games, the Senators have been living dangerously by relying on strong goaltending and timely goal-scoring.

Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers makes a first-period save against the Ottawa Senators
Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers makes a first-period save against the Ottawa Senators on his way to a shutout at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. It was the fourth time in the past 10 games the Senators have failed to score a single goal. Photo by Bruce Bennett /Getty Images

There is nothing wrong with winning 2-1 or 1-0, but the Senators have been shut out five times this season. The loss to the Rangers was the fourth time in 10 games the club has been blanked.

Captain Brady Tkachuk is pointless in eight games and winger Drake Batherson has two goals in his last 19. Giroux hasn’t scored in 12 games and Shane Pinto has two goals in 15.

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That’s to name a few.

But if those players, along with Tim Stutzle, Ridly Greig, Nick Cousins, Adam Gaudette and Michael Amadio, don’t start scoring more consistently then the Senators will have a tough time staying in the race.

Right now, what the Senators need the most is to have a strong effort against the Bruins before hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs at home Saturday. The club switched around its forward lines for Wednesday’s skate.

Anton Forsberg of the Ottawa Senators makes a second-period save against Filip Chytil of the New York Rangers
Anton Forsberg of the Ottawa Senators makes a second-period save against Filip Chytil of the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025 in New York City. Forsberg did, however, give up three goals on 13 shots after coming into the game when Leevi Merilainen was pulled. Photo by Bruce Bennett /Getty Images

“It’s all about responding and finding a level to each individual’s game,” Tkachuk said. “I feel what’s best for me is putting that extra work in and knowing that I did absolutely everything possible to prepare.”

There shouldn’t be any debate about who should start against the Bruins because Leevi Merilainen has earned the opportunity to play.

Against the Rangers, though, he was pulled after giving up two goals on 16 shots. He was also the beneficiary of two successful offside challenges by the Ottawa coaching staff that the club couldn’t capitalize on.

Backup Anton Forsberg wasn’t any better after taking over, giving up three goals on 13 shots in just over 35 minutes. He finished with a .791 save percentage in the game, which isn’t good enough.

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When we’ll see top goalie Linus Ulmark return from a back injury that has kept him out a month remains anybody’s guess.

Dean Brown, the legendary voice of the Senators on TSN 1200, posted a video on social media of Ullmark going through the rigours with goalie coach Justin Peters before practice Wednesday.

He was taking shots from assistant coaches Daniel Alfredsson and Ben Sexton during the skate, and left the ice after an hour of work with Peters.

Until Ullmark is a full participant in practice, there will be no timeline for his return.

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