Game 18 preview: Detroit Red Wings @ Ottawa Senators

After a strong performance in Saturday's 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Rangers, the Ottawa Senators play the third game of a five-game home stretch tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. Despite winning just 2 out of their 13 games in regulation, the Senators find themselves in second place in the division thanks to a combination of overtime wins, overtime losses and a weak division. The Red Wings lost 3-1 in Boston on Saturday and sit three points behind the Senators.

Jared Cowen is still out with an injury so the Senators will go with the same lineup except Matt O'Connor will be the backup for the injured Andrew Hammond.

Here are the lines and pairings from Gord Wilson.

Hoffman - Turris - Stone
Puempel - Zibanejad - Ryan
Michalek - Pageau - Chiasson
Lazar - Smith - Neil

Methot - Karlsson
Wiercioch - Ceci
Borowiecki - Wideman

Anderson (starter)
O'Connor

Some notes for tonight:

• Erik Karlsson continues to be on pace for the highest points total by a defenceman since 1995-1996. Stars defencemen John Klingberg is on an even higher pace though. Karlsson is tied for 11th in the NHL in points.
• Mark Stone and Bobby Ryan are tied for 27th in points, Kyle Turris is tied for 34th, Mika Zibanejad is tied for 50th and Mike Hoffman is tied for 67th. That gives Ottawa a total of six players producing like first line players.
• Karlsson is the only defenceman on the team with a positive Corsi differential. Karlsson and Wideman are the only two with a positive scoring chance differential.
• Would it surprise you that Ottawa has the 8th most 5-on-4 goals in the NHL?
• They have also allowed the second most 4-on-5 goals though.
• The Red Wings continue to be last in the NHL in generating shots on goal, sitting at 25.3 per game. The Senators continue to be last in the NHL allowing 34.6 shots per game.
• Ottawa has scored on 9.83% of their shots on goal, which is the ninth highest in the NHL.
• Since allowing 28 shots in a 5-3 loss to the Red Wings on 31 October, the Senators have allowed 37, 40, 46, 38, 35 and 34 shots on goal in the last six games.
• The Senators have gone to the shootout a league high six times with another two games decided during the five-minute overtime period. That means eight out of the Senators 17 games have not been decided in regulation.
• Tonight will be Polish heritage night at the Sens game!/