Game 54 preview: Edmonton Oilers @ Ottawa Senators

After a disappointing late come back to get a point against Pittsburgh to extend their points streak to two games, the Ottawa Senators will look to get back on track with a regulation loss when they host the Edmonton Oilers this afternoon. The Senators are currently eighth last in the NHL but are only two points ahead of the fifth last Leafs.

Jared Cowen will be a healthy scratch, Chris Phillips is banished to shame him into retiring while Clarke MacArthur is out with the flu. Here are the likely lines with MacArthur out.

Hoffman - Zibanejad - Ryan
Michalek - Turris - Stone
Lazar - Pageau - Chiasson
Condra - Legwand - Neil

Methot - Karlsson
Wiercioch - Ceci
Borowiecki - Gryba

Lehner (starter)
Hammond

Some notes for today:

• I am actually pretty happy with the top four on defence today. It is going to be hard to lose this game I feel.
• Ottawa outshot Pittsburgh 16-7 at even strength with Erik Karlsson on the ice. With Karlsson off the ice it was 21-8 for Pittsburgh. In terms of Corsi, it was 27-14 Ottawa with Karlsson on the ice and 35-15 Pittsburgh with Karlsson off the ice.
• Karlsson is six points behind the lead among defencemen. He is currently on pace for 59 points.
• Mike Hoffman is tied with Alexander Ovechkin for ninth in the NHL at 18 even strength goals.
• Mika Zibanejad is on pace for 22 goals, 20 assists, 42 points. All of those would be a career high.
• Nice to see the Ceci-Cowen pairing broken up. They put up an absolutely awful effort on Thursday and have been struggling for a while/all season. But then there are the TSN 1200 hosts that think Ceci is the best defenceman on the team.
• Chris Neil doesn't have a point in nine games since his return and has been held without a shot on goal in six of those games. He played just 2:35 in the final two periods and overtime against Pittsburgh./

Here are some stats for the two teams tonight. All stats are from NHL.com except Corsi and Fenwick are from naturalstattrick.com.