Lassi Thomson

Lassi Thomson faces the Toronto media spotlight before his squad tangles with the Leafs, dropping hints that insiders are parsing closely. Defensemen like him don't get much pregame ink unless something brews under the surface. This availability sets the tone for a matchup where every word carries weight in the tight standings battle.

The Senators limp into Detroit with their blue line in tatters after Thomas Chabot's arm surgery shelves him for the regular season and possibly the playoff opener, forcing the front office to tap their top prospect for this make-or-break Motown showdown. Dennis Gilbert joins the walking wounded with a 2-3 week upper-body absence, and Lassi Thomson's skating return hints at desperation mode as Ottawa clings to that second wild card spot with just 11 games left.

Shean Donovan, the old Sens grinder who closed out his NHL days in Ottawa, opens up about the surreal rush of watching his son Jorian step onto the same ice as an injury call-up from Belleville. With Chabot and Thomson sidelined for what coach Green calls "a while," Jorian's recall puts the Donovan duo on track to become the first father-son pair in Senators history.