Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario (Kanata)
TV: MSG (Rangers), SNE / TVAS / NHL Network (Senators/Canada/U.S. national)
This is the first of three scheduled meetings this season between the Metropolitan and Atlantic Division clubs. Last season, Ottawa took the season series 2-1.
Injury Reports
New York Rangers:
Igor Shesterkin (G, lower body/knee) — out for the season (LTIR).
Joonas Korpisalo (G, lower body) — out (IR; expected return around early/mid-November).
Joseph Veleno (C, lower body) — out (LTIR/long-term).
Adam Sykora (LW, lower body) and Aidan Thompson (C, undisclosed) — out (IR).
Eeli Tolvanen (RW) — day-to-day (personal; status for tonight uncertain but listed in some projected lines).
Dylan Garand has carried the load in net.
Ottawa Senators:
Linus Ullmark (G, lower body) — out (IR; expected return ~Oct. 29).
Thomas Chabot (D, upper body/undisclosed) — out (1-2 weeks; expected return during upcoming road trip).
William Eklund (LW, ankle) — out (IR; surgery, 10-12 weeks, return early 2027).
Kurtis MacDermid (LW, upper body) — out (IR).
Jonas Johansson is confirmed to start in his Senators debut (or backup role elevated).
Projected Lineups / Current Rosters
Rangers (Coach: Mike Sullivan):
Forwards: Gabe Perreault – Mika Zibanejad – Alexis Lafrenière; Tye Kartye – J.T. Miller – Pavel Dorofeyev; Will Cuylle – Noah Laba – Eeli Tolvanen; Oliver Bjorkstrand – Luke Glendening – Taylor Raddysh.
Defense: Vladislav Gavrikov – Adam Fox; Marcus Pettersson – Sean Durzi; Alberts Smits – Braden Schneider.
Goalies: Dylan Garand (projected/confirmed starter; 4-3-1, 2.30 GAA, .915 SV%, 1 SO) with Spencer Martin as backup.
Scratches typically include Scott Morrow, Matt Rempe, Matthew Robertson.
Senators (Coach: Travis Green):
Forwards: Fabian Zetterlund – Tim Stützle – Claude Giroux; Warren Foegele – Dylan Cozens – Drake Batherson; Ridly Greig – Shane Pinto – Michael Amadio; Nick Cousins – Stephen Halliday – Andre Burakovsky.
Defense: Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub; Tyler Kleven – Jordan Spence; Nikolas Matinpalo – Carter Yakemchuk.
Goalies: Jonas Johansson (confirmed starter for debut) with Samuel Ersson as backup (0-3-0, 4.59 GAA, .835 SV% in limited action).
Scratches: Cameron Crotty, Hayden Hodgson.
Key Rangers contributors: Lafrenière (team-high 8 goals, 14 points), Fox (14 points, all assists so far, elite playmaking from the blue line), Zibanejad, Miller, Dorofeyev (high shot volume).
Key Senators: Stützle (team-leading ~15 points: 7G-8A), Batherson, Giroux, Cozens, Sanderson (strong two-way presence after recent return).
Recent Team Forms
Rangers (last 10: 6-3-1): Strong overall but struggling on the road (1-4-1). Recent results include a 5-4 loss at Toronto (Garand 30 saves, late game-winner allowed), home win over Anaheim, OT loss at Columbus, and mixed results. Solid underlying defense (2.42 GA/GP, 4th) and elite PK (91.7%, 2nd). Offense at 3.08 GF/GP (15th). Faceoff edge (53.6%). They seek structure after a high-event loss in Toronto.
Senators (last 10: 6-4-0): Competitive at home (4-2-0). Recent 6-2 home loss to San Jose (outshot the Sharks but defensive lapses), win over Florida, mixed results. Offense lagging at 2.64 GF/GP (24th); defense 2.73 GA/GP (7th). Poor PP (12.2%, 29th) but solid faceoffs (52.8%). Missing key pieces but have shown resilience.
Team stats snapshot: Rangers hold clear edges in goals against, PK, and faceoffs; Senators have home ice but weaker special teams and goaltending depth currently.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Alexis Lafrenière / Mika Zibanejad vs. Jake Sanderson / Artem Zub: Rangers’ top scoring line against Ottawa’s top defensive pair. Lafrenière’s goal-scoring form meets Sanderson’s two-way excellence.
Adam Fox vs. Tim Stützle / Ottawa attack: Fox’s playmaking and puck-moving against Stützle’s elite skill and speed. Fox leads Rangers in points; limiting transition will be key.
Goaltending: Dylan Garand vs. Jonas Johansson: Garand has been steady (.915 SV%) filling in for the injured Shesterkin/Korpisalo tandem. Johansson makes his Senators debut after Ullmark’s absence; Ersson’s poor numbers make this a major edge for New York.
Special teams: Rangers’ elite PK vs. Ottawa’s struggling PP; both average-to-below on the other side.
Depth and physicality: Rangers’ balanced attack and structure vs. Senators’ home energy and secondary scoring (Batherson, Cozens, Pinto).
Series History
First meeting of 2026-27. Ottawa won the 2025-26 season series 2-1 (outscored Rangers 12-9). Recent H2H has been competitive, with overs common in some Ottawa home games (e.g., Over in last four meetings in Ottawa per some trends).
Betting Trends
Rangers strong ATS overall (9-3 in some reports) but poor on the road. Senators mixed ATS (3-8). Models give Ottawa a slight edge (~53-54% win probability) due to home ice, but many analysts favor Rangers due to the goaltending disparity (Garand vs. Johansson/Ersson). Public often leans home favorites.
Game Odds
New York Rangers 6
Ottawa Senators – 122
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, October 23, 2026
