OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators will host a Stanley Cup Playoff game for the first time in eight years when they meet the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN2, CBC, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNP).
The Senators have not played in front of a home postseason crowd since May 23, 2017, when they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final, a series Ottawa would lose in seven games.
The Senators trail this best-of-7 series 2-0 and understandably are viewing the game as a must-win. Ottawa is 0-9 all-time in postseason series after losing the first two games.
For Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, playing in his first Stanley Cup Playoff series, building off the first two games in Toronto and learning from their mistakes will be key.
"It's been a dream of mine ever since I stepped foot in Ottawa to see the white rally towels going in the Canadian Tire Centre,” he said after the Senators morning skate. “Out there [during practice] it was pretty awesome to see. It gets you that much more excited for the game. I think confidence, comfort just comes as the series goes on. It's all about trust and belief, and that's what we have right now.”
The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, are 15-3 all-time in series after winning the opening two games. They have not held a 2-0 series lead since the opening round of the 2002 playoffs, when they went on to defeat the New York Islanders in seven games.
Toronto will have one lineup change for Game 3; forward Max Pacioretty, who has been out because of an undisclosed injury since Feb. 8, will come in, replacing Nicholas Robertson.
The 36-year-old had 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 37 games this season, and has 50 points (25 goals, 25 assists) in 78 career playoff games.
“I’m really excited,” Pacioretty said. “I’ve waited a little bit here for this. I’ve put in a lot of work and had a lot of great people in my corner.”
Teams that take a 3-0 lead in a best-of-7 series have an all-time series record of 207-4 (.981), including a 151-3 (.981) mark when starting at home.
Here is a breakdown of Game 3:
Maple Leafs: Pacioretty will take Robertson’s spot on the third line alongside center Max Domi and forward Bobby McMann. Domi was the hero by scoring the overtime winner in Toronto’s 3-2 victory in Game 2 on Tuesday, but McMann continues to struggle and has not scored in 13 games -- 11 in the regular season, two in the postseason. Coach Craig Berube said he hopes Pacioretty’s insertion will help McMann’s offensive game.
Senators: Ottawa will go with the same 18 skaters as Game 2 but has made one tweak up front. Forward Fabian Zetterlund will move to the second line with Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson, taking the place of veteran David Perron, who will slot into Zetterlund’s spot on the fourth line with Adam Gaudette and Nick Cousins. Like Tuesday, defenseman Nick Jensen did not participate in the morning skate, which was a regular occurrence during the regular season; he is expected to play.
