Game 59 preview: Carolina Hurricanes @ Ottawa Senators

After failing to pick up any points on Tuesday, Erik Karlsson will look to get back on track in tonight's game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Despite having eight shots on goal in each of the last two games, Karlsson has had just a single point to show for it.

The Senators are probably going to need something like a 7-game winning streak to get back into the race and they haven't won three games in a row for almost three months. So it is probably not going to happen but hey there was last year. Ottawa is currently six points out of the final playoff spot and has played three extra games.

There are expected to be no changes to the lineup and Craig Anderson will start. Here are the lines and pairings.

Smith - Pageau - Stone
Hoffman - Turris - Ryan
Dzingel - Zibanejad - Chiasson
Paul - Lazar - Neil

Methot - Karlsson
Phaneuf - Ceci
Wiercioch - Wideman

Anderson (starter)
Hammond

Some notes for tonight:

• Karlsson hasn't been hurt too badly from his last two games thanks to Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin also struggling to score. All three have 24 games left with Benn at 64 and Karlsson and Seguin both at 63 points.
• Karlsson has played over 32 minutes in the last four games and a total of 12 times this season.
• Ryan Dzingel has looked very good so far in the NHL. Makes you wonder why the likes of David Dziurzynski got long looks before him.
• Is Kyle Turris still not fully healed? And if not, can't be long before the club shuts him down. I guess they are not throwing in the towel for the season.
• Getting worked by the Sabres at home for stretches was not a good look was it?
• How much longer until the Phaneuf-Karlsson eventually becomes a full time thing?
• The Hurricanes have been surprisingly competitive this year thanks to goaltending finally not being awful.
• Mike Hoffman is going to have a huge game tonight. A minimum of two points because...reasons
• If you are going to the game and want to say hello, I will be the brown guy in 323 wearing a Swedish national team jersey./

Here are some stats for the two teams tonight. All stats are from NHL.com except Corsi and Fenwick are from www.puckon.net. Note that Corsi is now adjusted for score as well as the venue and event type.