Game 11 preview: San Jose Sharks @ Ottawa Senators

For the second consecutive game, the Ottawa Senators play a backup goaltender from a California team that played in Montreal the night before. Both California teams also lit up the Senators for 50+ shots in the previous meeting and both would be missing top six wingers. The Senators will make one change to the lineup as Jean-Gabriel Pageau returns in the place of Clarke MacArthur who has picked up a minor injury.

Here are the lines as projected by the Ottawa Senators website.

Ottawa

Michalek - Spezza - Zibanejad
Conacher - Turris - Ryan
Grant - Pageau - Condra
Greening - Smith - Neil

Methot - Karlsson
Phillips - Wiercioch
Cowen - Corvo

Anderson (starter)
Lehner

San Jose

Hertl - Thornton - Hamilton
Kennedy - Couture - Marleau
Nieto - Pavelski - Wingels
McCarthy - Desjardins - Brown

Vlasic - Braun
Irwin - Stuart
Hannan - Demers

Stalock (starter)
Niemi

Some talking points for tonight:

• Tonight is as good a chance as any Ottawa will get to beat the Sharks. Playing a goaltender with 72 career NHL minutes, no Brent Burns or Dan Boyle and the Sharks played last night in Montreal. The bookies actually have Ottawa as the favourite to win this game.
• How much will Kyle Turris miss Clarke MacArthur on his line? The two have been lights out together this season. Still a very good looking top six for Ottawa with plenty of offensive threats.
• Patrick Wiercioch returns tonight and appears to be playing on a different pairing from Jared Cowen. It will be interesting to see which pairing gets more ice time and the tougher match-ups with Paul MacLean having last change.
• The Senators were outplayed by the Sharks in the first two periods but it was still a 2-2 game going into the third period. Things completely fell apart in the third period though.
• With Wiercioch back, will Ottawa continue to use Kyle Turris on the point on the first unit?

Here are some stats leaders for the two teams tonight.