While they’ve already been without him for a couple games, the Sens officially begin life without Jason Spezza tonight in Raleigh.

With Spezza set to undergo back surgery today and a rehab of at least two months ahead of him, the Sens are going to have to get used to playing without their number one centre.  Tonight's test comes in Raleigh, North Carolina when they take on Eric Staal and the rest of the Carolina Hurricanes.

(UPDATE 11:02 AM )-  Bryan Murray has provided an update on the status of the team’s number one centre.  As speculated, Jason Spezza will have back surgery for a herniated disc and there is no immediate time frame for his return.  Murray is hopeful he would be back in time for playoffs.

After an impressive come from behind victory over the Washington Capitals last night, the Senators are right back at it tonight when they host the Montreal Canadiens.

Unfortunately for the Sens, they will again be without top centre Jason Spezza as he continues to nurse an undisclosed upper body injury.  They do catch a bit of a break though as the Canadiens are expected to rest Carey Price tonight in favour of the back up Peter Budaj.

After a blown lead on Friday and a shootout loss Sunday, the Ottawa Senators will try to get back on track against a struggling Washington Capitals team.

While the Caps have stumbled out of the gate, they did pick up their first win against the Sabres on Sunday and boast a lineup that includes the likes of Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Alex Ovechkin.  Should be a good one in front of another packed rink at Scotiabank Place.

(UPDATE- 1:58 PM)- Paul MacLean spoke with the media after practice this afternoon and suggested it’s unlikely Zibanejad plays tomorrow, assuming Alfredsson is ready to go.  Zack Smith, Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson were all just maintenance days today and are expected to play.  Craig Anderson will get the start in the Ottawa goal.

While they ended up falling short on Sunday night, the Ottawa Senators showed they could hang with one of Eastern Conference elite.

Both Craig Anderson and Marc Andre Fleury were sharp through sixty minutes of regulation but in the shootout Neal, Crosby and Malkin all beat Anderson to give the Penguins the extra point in a 2-1 final.

After a disappointing loss on Friday night where they let a lead slip away, the Ottawa Senators will look to get back on track on home ice.

The Sens will face their toughest test of the season though as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the Pittsburgh Penguins visit Scotiabank Place for a 5:00 PM start. Craig Anderson will get the start for the Senators while the Penguins are expected to counter with Marc Andre Fleury.

After three consecutive impressive victories to open the season, the Ottawa Senators get set for their toughest test of the season tonight in Tampa Bay.

Not only is Ottawa playing a second game in as many nights but Tampa’s roster features the likes of Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier.  The Senators will have to be sharp if they hope to stretch their winning streak to four games to start the 2013 season.

It was a little closer than the game played back at Scotiabank Place on Monday night but the end result was the same, another Senators win over the Florida Panthers.

Chris Phillips, Erik Karlsson and Jason Spezza provided the offence and Craig Anderson was lights out in goal for the third straight outing. With Anderson playing the way he is right now, this is a tough team to beat, having now outscored their opponents 11-2 through three games.

The Ottawa Senators will look to build off consecutive strong performances to start their season when they play a second straight game against the Florida Panthers.

The Senators have outscored their opponents by an 8-1 margin through the first two games of the season and have received offensive contributions from all four of their forward lines.  They’ll be looking for more of the same tonight in Sunrise.