Game 75 preview: Carolina Hurricanes @ Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators will be without the injured Jason Spezza and Jared Cowen when they host the Carolina Hurricanes. With a win, Ottawa would move to within four points of Lumbus for the final playoff spot. Spezza and Cowen will be replaced by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Cody Ceci. Colin Greening is also still injured which means that Matt Kassian will continue to play.

As the Senators played last night, there was no team skate today. Thus here are my complete guesses at the lineup. Craig Anderson is the confirmed starter.

MacArthur - Turris - Stone
Michalek - Zibanejad - Hemsky
Kassian - Smith - Neil
Hoffman - Pageau - Condra

Methot - Karlsson
Phillips - Gryba
Wiercioch - Ceci

Anderson (starter)
Lehner

Some notes for tonight:

• With Lumbus playing Colorado, Philadelphia and Chicago this week, Ottawa has an opportunity to perhaps take this down to the last weekend against Toronto and Philadelphia with some strong play.
• Tonight will be the second game of a stretch of five games in seven days. After today the Senators host the Islanders on Wednesday before a pair of back-to-back games against the Canadiens and Rangers on Friday and Saturday.
• The Hurricanes playoff hopes are even weaker than the Senators as they are two points behind Ottawa in the same number of games.
• Last night was the lowest ice time that Erik Karlsson has received since November. Should help on a back-to-back.
• Is anyone finding it a little weird that Jason Spezza is being held out of about as a must-win game that there is for precautionary reasons?
• The Senators have scored 25 goals in their last seven games. Unfortunately they have also allowed 27.

Here are some stats for the two teams tonight.