The Ottawa Senators play their final home game before a three-game road trip tomorrow afternoon when they take on the Boston Bruins at 3:00 p.m. ET.

The Bruins are currently in a playoff spot but a lot of times are coming for them. First up on Saturday, the Ottawa Senators.

Kicking off a busy end-of-January stretch for both teams, the Ottawa Senators host the Boston Bruins in a key Saturday afternoon clash of clubs on the Eastern Conference playoff bubble.

A victory against the Bruins is paramount because the Senators can move into the final wild-card spot in the East with a win over Boston and begin to close the gap with the rest of the division. That’s why it makes sense for the club to stick with Merilainen.

The Boston Bruins returned to practice on Friday. They are preparing for an incredibly important matchup against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon. The Senators trail the Bruins by just one point,

Knocking on the door along with Ottawa are perennial Atlantic Division also-rans Montreal and Detroit. Also in the Eastern Conference mix are the Columbus Blue Jackets, who hopped over the Bruins in the standings on Thursday and are everyone’s sentimental favorite in this surprise run after the Johnny Gaudreau tragedy last summer.

BOTTOM LINE: Atlantic Division opponents meet when the Ottawa Senators take on the Boston Bruins. Ottawa has gone 22-18-4 overall with a 5-3-1 record against the Atlantic Division. The Senators have a 20-3-2 record in games they score three or more goals.

The Bruins have provided an update about one of their forwards. The Boston Bruins returned to practice today, and forward Mark Kastelic was in a regular jersey for it. This is notable, as the 25-year-old forward has not played since getting injured during Jan. 9's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning .

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