It seems the Sens have been in survival mode since January, but this week – and especially the next 2 games – will truly determine how realistic a chance we have.

The Sens have won 7 out of their last 10 games, but have seen little progress in the standings thanks to an out-of-town record that has consistently produced awful scenarios. That being said, some results this past weekend mean that the Sens control their own fate against the teams they’re facing in their division or in the wild card hunt thanks to a combination of games-in-hand or holding the tiebreaker advantage from regulation wins. They find themselves out of a wildcard spot by 4 points with 2 games in hand on the New York Islanders. Their playoff odds sit at a not-ideal-but-hopeful 54.6%. Win, and you’re in. Simple as that!

The New York Rangers sit last in the conference, and are coming off 4 straight losses, including one last night. Tonight, ex-Sens centre Mika Zibanejad will become just the second player in his draft class to play 1000 games. Zibanejad has battled injuries for a chunk of his career, so it’s quite cool that the game lined up that his 1000th will feature the only two teams he’s known. While on paper, this is a very winnable game, the Sens are also under a lot of pressure, and after an exciting win against the Leafs and an all-important game against the Red Wings tomorrow, let’s hope they are mentally prepared to lock it in tonight.

Head-to-Head StatsProjected LineupGame NotesWith Dennis Gilbert out with an injury sustained against the Leafs, Lassi Thomson will get his chance to shine. I’m excited to see how he does in such a high-pressure situation. He has some experience playing on his off-side back in Europe. James Reimer gets the start tonight, which makes sense considering the importance of tomorrow’s game and the calibre of the Rangers. That being said, the Sens cannot afford any bad goaltending, so let’s hope their backup doesn’t let them down during a pivotal moment in the season.My bold prediction: if the Sens score at least one power play goal, they’ll win the game.Warren Foegele has done well for the Sens since his acquisition, so I’d like to see more from his teammate Zetterlund, who has the potential to be a much bigger offensive threat in fourth-line minutes.Tim Stützle remains the best player on the team by a wide margin, and while players like Giroux and Cozens are putting in the effort, we need better results from the rest of the top-6 to drive offence in Sanderson’s absence.It’s a Prime Time game today so we need the extra good vibes. You can catch the game at 7:30PM tonight on Amazon Prime or listen live at TSN1200. Puck drop will be closer to 7:50PM ET because of the pre-game ceremony for Mika Zibanejad’s 1000th game.