Silver Nuggets: Michalek returns; Cowen to make NHL debut

A look at the Ottawa Senators headlines heading into their penultimate regular-season game, against the Tampa Bay Lightning:

• Don't forget to join Darren on the CBC live chat today at 2:00 p.m. ET. (CBC)
• Looks like Milan Michalek is back tonight (for real this time): Lines at the morning skate were: Regin-Spezza-Alfredsson; Foligno-Fisher-Kovalev; Michalek-Cullen-Neil; Ruutu-Kelly-Winchester. (Twitter)
• Brian Elliott will start in net, and 2009 first-rounder Jared Cowen will make his NHL debut tonight. Anton Volchenkov will take the game off to rest. (Twitter)
• Six of seven panellists are calling a Sens win tonight. (Citizen)
• Looks like the Sens will play the Penguins again. The team knows it would be a challenge. (Citizen)
•  Saturday is going to be Daniel Alfredsson Day in Ottawa. Listen to ABBA and shoot the puck at an enemy in honour of the captain! (Sun)
• Matt Carkner is reportedly the Senators' nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. (Sens Chirp)

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• Cuba Gooding Jr. likes our team in the playoffs. The league might as well start engraving the Cup right now. (Citizen)
• Ian Mendes points out how important it is to examine the side-effects of the Dany Heatley trade when assessing who won it; namely, the improvements Jason Spezza has made. (Sportsnet)
• I wonder if we can nominate Cory Clouston for the Hart Trophy. (CBS Sports)
• Binghamton lost in overtime last night, but they're still technically in the playoff hunt. (Fox 40)
• Elmira scored five unanswered goals to beat the Everblades 5-2 and tie their ECHL playoff series at one game apiece.
• An interview with Senators prospect Mike Hoffman. (Highlight of the Night)
• Speaking of Hoffman, he had an assist in his Saint John team's series-clinching win over Gatineau in the QMJHL playoffs last night.
• The Maple Leafs clinched 29th in the league with their loss last night. Don takes a look at some of the past second-overall draft picks, because the Boston Bruins are probably going to get a player of that calibre. (Battle of Ontario)
• Erik Christensen gives some candid insight into what it's like getting torn apart by John Tortorella. (Slapshot)
• A group is looking into building a monument to the Stanley Cup in Ottawa. Maybe we could time it to coincide with the Senators' Stanley Cup parade this summer? (Ottawa Business Journal)