Game 75 preview: Carolina Hurricanes @ Ottawa Senators

A preview of the game between the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes on 31 March 2014.

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.

Category Ottawa Carolina
Player # Player #
Goals Kyle Turris 25 Jeff Skinner 29
Assists Erik Karlsson 50 Eric Staal 39
Points Erik Karlsson 70 Eric Staal 56
Shots Erik Karlsson 236 Jeff Skinner 250
Average Ice time Erik Karlsson 27:11 Andrej Sekera 23:40

Category Ottawa Carolina
# Rank # Rank
Goals For 2.86 9th 2.50 21st
Goals Against 3.27 28th 2.77 19th
Corsi Close % 52.0% 8th 49.5% 16th
Fenwick Close % 50.7% 14th 48.2% 23rd
Shots For 32.6 4th 31.4 9th
Shots Against 34.9 29th 30.9 22nd

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