Senators suffer a “big blow” ahead of Battle of Ontario.

The Ottawa Senators will face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs for the third time this season when they take on their provincial rivals once again on Saturday, but unfortunately for the Sens it has now been confirmed that they will be missing a key veteran presence in their lineup.

According to a report from Ottawa Senators insider Bruce Garrioch, veteran defenseman Mark Borowiecki has officially been ruled out of Saturday's contest against the Maple Leafs as well as Sunday's contest in which the Senators will face off against the Dallas Stars. Borowiecki suffered an ankle injury during the Senators' victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday, the Sens won that contest by a scoreline of 3 - 2, and although head coach DJ Smith was unable to provide specific details he did confirm that the ankle was what was keeping Borowiecki out of the lineup at this time.

“There’s a lot of swelling and we’ll have more of an update this week,” Smith said as per Garrioch. “I don’t know if it’s high (on the ankle), low or whatever it’s, he’s not going to play for the next little bit here.”

Losing a player like Borowiecki before a rivalry matchup like the one against the Leafs is a major blow. Not only does Borowiecki have plenty of experience within this rivalry, but he has also been one of Ottawa's most consistent performers on the blue line this season and will be near impossible to replace internally. Smith acknowledged that it was a big blow for the Senators, but played it off suggesting that other players could step into the lineup and take Borowiecki's place.

“Just his mental preparation, how hard he plays, his leadership in the room and the whole thing will certainly be missed, but we have other guys that will pick up the slack,” said Smith.

We will not know more regarding the status of Borowiecki until the swelling on his ankle has gone down and doctors can determine the extent of his injury, however we do know who will be stepping in for him. According to Garrioch it will be veteran defenseman Cody Goloubef who will fill in tonight when the Senators face off against the Maple Leafs.