Senators D Zub returns, Forsberg starts vs. Islanders
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The Ottawa Senators will have defenceman Artem Zub back in the lineup for Thursday's clash with the New York Islanders.
Zub has missed the past nine games with a concussion suffered on Oct. 14 against the Los Angeles Kings.
Head coach Travis Green said he isn't expecting to have to limit Zub's ice time as he joins Jake Sanderson on the top pairing in his return. He averaged 21:01 of ice time last season over 69 games.
"He’s a veteran guy, takes really good care of himself. He’s a great professional. I don’t expect anything other than his best in terms of his compete level and the rest will fall into place.”
With Zub back, Jacob Bernard-Docker will come out of the lineup, while Travis Hamonic will join with Tyler Kleven on the third pairing.
“I’ve liked both guys games," Green said of the decision. "Obviously, Hammer has been playing with (Sanderson) playing against a lot of good players in the league. As anyone knows, when you’re in the top four you’re playing against the top players. When you’re in the bottom pairing, you’re usually a little more protected with your ice time. They’ve both played well.”
Anton Forsberg will start in net against the Islanders, with Green defending his choice not to turn back to Linus Ullmark after allowing five goals in Tuesday's loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
“He’s playing well," Green said of Forsberg. "We don’t need to play Linus every game. Forsy is playing well. We’ve got a busy week.”
“We thought about it and decided that he was the best one to start tonight.”
Forsberg is 3-2-0 this season with a .910 save percentage and a 2.65 goals-against average. Ullmark, acquired in the off-season from the Boston Bruins, has gone 2-4-0 with a .892 save percentage and a 2.65 GAA.
Perron skates, no timeline for return
Veteran forward David Perron took part in a team season for the first time since taking a personal leave on Oct. 21.
The 36-year-old veteran, who is without a point in five games this season, remains without a timeline for return.
“Great. Really good. Any time a player leaves for a significant amount of time for personal reasons, it’s always nice and a breath of fresh air to see them back," Green said of Perrson's return. "I’m sure he’s happy to be back. There is life outside of hockey. When a player is going through something you know they miss the team. It’s good to see him back.”