Game 69 preview: Ottawa Senators @ Florida Panthers

Erik Karlsson will look to avoid his longest pointless streak in over five years when he visits the Florida Panthers tonight. Karlsson is without a point in four straight games and hasn't gone five straight without a point in the regular season since 27 November to 5 December back in 2010.

The Senators meanwhile had a hilarious collapse on Tuesday, allowing the tying goal with less than a second left, and then needing either a goal or a save in the third round of the shootout to win. They would get neither and ended up losing the shootout. The team will make a few changes tonight with Patrick Wiercioch and Matt Puempel coming in for Chris Wideman and Nick Paul. Craig Anderson will also return in net. Here is the expected lineup:

Smith - Pageau - Stone
Hoffman - Zibanejad - Chiasson
Dzingel - Gomez - Ryan
Puempel - Lazar - Neil

Methot - Karlsson
Phaneuf - Ceci
Wiercioch - Kostka

Anderson (starter)
Hammond

Some notes for tonight:

• Erik Karlsson needs 15 assists in 14 games to break Jason Spezza's club record for assists in a single season. It is looking very tough. :-(
• A lot has been made of Mike Hoffman's ice time but he played over 18 minutes against Carolina including over seven minutes while protecting a lead in the third period.
• Bobby Ryan on the other hand played just 13:00 in a game that went to a shootout and just 7:49 over the final two periods plus overtime.
• Karlsson averages 29 seconds more of ice time per game than the next highest player, Ryan Suter.
• Is Karlsson starting to get tired from all the ice time or what? He has three points in the last nine games. Of course eight of those games were since Boro wanted him to be reined in, so as always I blame Boro.
• Mark Stone needs 12 more points in 14 games to pass last year's total of 64 points.
• Ottawa probably needs to finish around 12-2-0 to have a realistic chance at the playoffs.
• The Panthers came back from 4-1 down against Boston before losing 5-4 in overtime on Tuesday.
• The Senators are currently 11th last in the NHL.
• Craig Anderson will play for the first time since 1 March.
• Ottawa leads the NHL with 55 goals allowed on the penalty kill. They also lead the NHL with 12 shorthanded goals.
• The Senators are second in the NHL to the Los Angeles Kings with 1,899 hits./