Preseason Game 5 preview: Montréal Canadiens @ Ottawa Senators

Having won in Toronto last night with largely AHL players, the Senators will have most of their regulars return tonight when they host the Montréal Canadiens. That's about as long as an introduction possible for a preseason game, so here are the lines and pairings courtesy of Brent Wallace. The Habs lines and pairings are from Marc Antoine Godin.

Ottawa

Michalek - Da Costa - Ryan
MacArthur - Turris - Conacher
Greening - Zibanejad - Condra
Kassian - Pageau - Neil

Méthot - Karlsson
Claesson - Wiercioch
Phillips - Corvo

Lawson (starter)
Hammond

Montréal

Galchenyuk-Eller-Gallagher
Moen-Bournival-White
Blunden-Dumont-Tarnasky
Holland-St-Pierre-Thomas

Diaz-Nygren
Tinordi-Deitz
Beaulieu-Pateryn

Budaj (starter)
Price

Some notes for tonight:

• Similar to the Sens lineup last night, the Habs are going with near the bare minimum of NHL regulars, with their full team waiting for the game in Montréal tomorrow. It looks like a complete mismatch for Ottawa but in a preseason game, the lesser players might have more motivation.
• Clarke MacArthur, Kyle Turris, Colin Greening, Stéphane Da Costa, Chris Neil, Patrick Wiercioch and Joe Corvo will play on back-to-back nights, everyone else has been changed from last night.
• Jason Spezza and Craig Anderson are being kept out for precautionary reasons. This gives Da Costa a chance on the top line and perhaps an opportunity to show himself for a trade before he is placed on waivers next week.
• Mika Zibanejad returns to centre tonight. He was at right wing on Saturday, at centre on Sunday, on right wing on Monday and at centre today. Where is he going to start the season?
• Paul MacLean has tried many players on with Turris and MacArthur but seems to keep returning to Conacher. Is he the favourite right now?
• The Senators are playing 5/6 of their opening night defence and either 10 or 11 (depending on if Kassian plays) out of the 12 forwards. If everyone tries tonight, the Senators should win this quite comfortably.
• Patrick Wiercioch has probably been Ottawa's best defenceman in preseason so far. He is slowly quietening my fears about the state of the Senators defence. Hopefully he can keep this going in the regular season.
• For his next test for Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Paul MacLean is asking Pageau to drag Chris Neil and Matt Kassian around the ice. Is Pageau up for it? PAGEAU PAGEAU PAGEAU PAGEAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!