Round 2, Game 6 preview: Ottawa Senators @ New York Rangers

The Ottawa Senators will look to advance to the Eastern Conference final for the third time in club history when they visit the New York Rangers tonight. The Senators have won at least seven playoff games three times before. In 2001-2002 they lost in seven games to Toronto in the second round, while in 2002-2003 they lost in round three and in 2006-2007 they lost in the Stanley Cup final.

With the Capitals and Penguins playing a game seven play tomorrow and the Capitals arena potentially booked all weekend, a win tonight could get Erik Karlsson some much needed rest. The Sens did not skate today and Guy Boucher will not speak to the media until 4:30. So here is lineup that played on Saturday.

Ryan - Pageau - Stone
MacArthur - Turris - Hoffman
Stålberg - Brassard - Burrows
Smith - Pyatt
Ottawa media - Neil

Methot - Karlsson
Phaneuf - Ceci
Claesson - Wideman

Anderson (starter)
Condon

Some notes for tonight:

• Erik Karlsson's three point game on Saturday was the fourth time a Senators defenceman has had three points in a playoff game. Dion Phaneuf did it against the Rangers and Wade Redden did it twice.
• Ottawa is a win away from the conference finals and they have a goal difference of -1 in the playoffs. That is so Ottawa. Five overtime wins sure make things better eh?
• The Rangers have had a two-goal lead in the last four games of the series.
• After the way Henrik Lundqvist played in game one, if you were told the Senators would allow 17 goals in the next four games and at least four goals in all of them and that they would win two of them, you would have thought that...unlikely.
• Karlsson had quite the game on Saturday eh? He's really carrying this team kicking and screaming so far in these playoffs.
• The Rangers have allowed three goals at 5-on-6 in the playoffs.
• Ottawa is 5-2 when allowing the first goal.
• Kyle Turris has won 20 out of 25 face-offs on the power play while Derick Brassard has won 23 out of 35. As a team, Ottawa has won 68% of power play face-offs. As a comparison, the Rangers have won 45% of them in the playoffs.
• Only Evgeni Malkin has more assists than Karlsson in the playoffs.
• Karlsson is also second in the league with 13 takeaways.
• The road team won five out of six games between Ottawa and Boston but the home team has won all five games this series. Hockey is kind of random./