A victory against the Bruins is paramount because the Senators can move into the final wild-card spot in the East with a win over Boston and begin to close the gap with the rest of the division. That’s why it makes sense for the club to stick with Merilainen.

Ottawa Senators starting goalie Linus Ullmark appears to be nearing a return to the lineup. Ullmark worked out in full gear before Friday morning's main practice. The Hockey News' Graeme Nichols had eyes on Ullmark at practice this morning and reports that Ullmark looked fine,

BOTTOM LINE: Atlantic Division opponents meet when the Ottawa Senators take on the Boston Bruins. Ottawa has gone 22-18-4 overall with a 5-3-1 record against the Atlantic Division. The Senators have a 20-3-2 record in games they score three or more goals.

It has been an up-and-down year for the Boston Bruins. After entering the season with high expectations, they have a 22-19-5 record and hold the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. However, the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, and Detroit Red Wings are right behind them and have each played two fewer games.

The public offseason contract dispute between the Boston Bruins and Jeremy Swayman was a drawn-out saga that left its mark on both sides. With Swayman

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The 39-year-old winger took a pass from Rasmus Sandin on a 2-on-1 breakaway and fired it past rookie Leevi Merilainen, the record 179th goaltender he's scored on.

The Boston Bruins returned to practice today, and forward Mark Kastelic was in a regular jersey for it. This is notable, as the 25-year-old forward has not played since getting injured during Jan. 9's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning. View the original article to see embedded media.