Game 11 preview: Carolina Hurricanes @ Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators will look to improve on their 4-0-1 home record when they host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. The two clubs met last week in Carolina, a game that the Hurricanes won 1-0. The Hurricanes had three days off prior to the game, while the Senators were in a busy stretch of their sixth game in nine days, so hopefully Ottawa will be able to score a few more goal(s) this time.

Craig Anderson will once again make the start for Ottawa and Sergei Gonchar and Mike Lundin will enter the lineup. For Lundin, it will be his first game in a Senators uniform. He will wear #10. Kaspars Daugavins, Mark Borowiecki and surprisingly Patrick Wiercioch will be the healthy scratches. Guillaume Latendresse is out with "whiplash". Here are the lines and pairings at practice today from Sylvain St-Laurent:

Zibanejad - Turris - Alfredsson
Michalek - Smith - Silfverberg
Greening - Regin - Neil
O'Brien - Da Costa - Condra

Méthot - Karlsson
Lundin - Gonchar
Phillips - Benoît

Anderson (starter)
Bishop

From the Canes blog Canes Country, they will counter with:

Tlusty - E. Staal - Semin
Dwyer - J. Staal - Skinner
LaRose - Jokinen - Bowman
Westgarth - Brent - Wallace

Pitknane - McBain
Gleason - Faulk
Sanguinetti - Harrison

Ward (starter)
Ellis

Here are some notes for tonight:

• Ottawa is tied for the third best goal difference in the NHL at +10. Their four losses have been two one-goal losses in regulation, a two-goal loss due to an empty-net goal, and a shootout loss.
• The Senators power play converts at 27.3%, good for fourth in the NHL. The penalty kill is at 90.9%, which is third in the NHL. Their 5-on-5 Fenwick close is fifth in the NHL.
• Ottawa is shooting under 8% with Erik Karlsson on the ice 5-on-5. Karlsson's eight points in ten games probably are less than what his play has deserved so far. He is currently tied for second in the NHL with 39 shots on goal.
• With Gonchar back, Karlsson's ice time should hopefully drop under the 30 minute mark. He's played over 31 minutes in the last two games.
• Tonight will be the sixth game of the season for Mika Zibanejad, meaning his ELC will officially not slide forward another year.
• Carolina is first in the NHL in shots per game and Ottawa is third. Carolina allows the fourth most shots while Ottawa allows the eighth most.