Adedokun Waliyu 
Bruins (22-19-5) at Senators (22-18-4)
A TIGHT RACE
The Senators are just one point behind the Bruins for the final wildcard spot in the National Hockey League’s Eastern Conference as the teams face off at the Canadian Tire Centre.
That’s why this is a big one.
Ottawa scored a 3-2 victory over the Bruins on Nov. 9 at TD Garden in Boston thanks to a strong performance by goaltender Linus Ullmark and the overtime winning goal by captain Brady Tkachuk.
“We could say they’re all biggies for the rest of the year,” Tkachuk said following the club’s optional skate at the Bell Sensplex on Friday. “But tomorrow is a big one, but it sets up a big week of Eastern Conference games on the right note.
“There’s not much time to think about it with a 3 p.m. start. Get ready and get going.”
The Senators didn’t run any lines or defensive pairings on Friday, so we’ll have to wait until after warmup on Saturday to see if head coach Travis Green decides to switch up his units up front.
Boston head coach Joe Sacco noted the “logjam” in the standings.
“We’re just trying to play our game and stick to our process. We hope that the end result will take care of itself,” Sacco said Friday.
Goaltender Jeremy Swayman will start for the Bruins, making this his fifth straight appearance in net.
Mark Kastelic Boston Bruins
A Jan. 9 file photo shows Bruins centre Mark Kastelic in action against the host Tampa Bay Lightning. After missing a couple of games because of injury, the former Senator Kastelic is expected to make his return to action on Saturday against the team that drafted him.
Kastelic took a crosscheck to the fact that forced him to miss two games, but is expected to face his former team on Saturday. He was dealt to the Bruins in the summer in the trade that also sent goalie Joonas Korpisalo to Boston in exchange for goaltender Linus Ullmark.
Kastelic, 25 and drafted in the fifth round by the Senators in 1999, was a full participant in practice on Friday. He just signed an extension with the Bruins.
“I feel really good,” Kastelic said. “It would be really special (to play in Ottawa). You don’t want to rush these things, but that was kind of in the back of my mind to get feeling as best as I could for that.
“If I get in tomorrow, I’ll just be excited to be back in Ottawa, and to be back with the boys would just be really great. The first time I played them was super weird. Hopefully the more I play them it becomes more normal.”
OTTAWA
FORWARDS
Tkachuk/Norris/Batherson
Giroux/Stutzle/Gaudette
Cousins/Pinto/Greig
Highmore/Ostapchuk/Amadio
DEFENCEMEN
Sanderson/Zub
Kleven/Jensen
Sebrango/Matinpalo
Goaltenders
Merilainen/Forsberg
BOSTON
FORWARDS
Geekie/Zacha/Pastrnak
Marchand/Lindholm/Lettieri
Frederic/Poitras/Coyle
Brazeau/Beecher/Kastelic
DEFENCEMEN
Zadorov/Carlo
Wotherspoon/Peeke
Lohrei/Oesterle
Goaltenders
Swayman/Korpisalo
INJURIES
OTTAWA
D Thomas Chabot (facial, may play); D Jacob Bernard-Docker (high ankle sprain, six weeks); D Travis Hamonic (knee, four weeks); F David Perron (upper body, has resumed skating); F Noah Gregor (lower body, out for a lengthy period); G Linus Ullmark (back, week-to-week); F Cole Reinhardt (upper body, no update).
BOSTON
D Charlie McAvoy (undisclosed, long-term injury reserve); D Hampus Lindholm (undisclosed, long-term injury reserve).
