Preseason Game 6 preview: Ottawa Senators @ Montréal Canadiens

The Ottawa Senators will play their third game in as many nights when they host the Canadiens tonight. Having beaten a Montréal team consisting of mostly AHL players, the Senators will return the favour with only 4 out of the 18 skaters playing tonight likely to play the season opener. Here are the Ottawa and Montréal lineups courtesy of the Senators.

Ottawa

Stone - Smith - Conacher
Puempel - Zibanejad - Hoffman
Dziursynski - Grant - Robinson
Kassian - O'Brien - Lazar

Cowen - Wideman
Claesson - Borowiecki
Sdao - Ceci

Anderson (starter)
Lehner

Montréal

Pacioretty - Desharnais - Briere
Bourque - Plekanec - Gionta
Galchenyuk - Eller - Gallagher
Bournival - White - Moen

Subban - Markov
Gorges - Bealieu
Boullion - Diaz

Price (starter)
Budaj

Some notes for tonight:

• Yikes. Ottawa is missing its entire first line, and most of the second, third and fourth lines as well. On defence, they are missing all of their regulars except Jared Cowen. Meanwhile the Habs are playing pretty much their full team and their starting goaltender. This is a bigger mismatch than last night.
• Given some of the liberties that the Canadiens players were taking on Ottawa's star players, it is clear that the Senators are not taking any chances with this lineup. This game could get ugly on the scoreboard, and then in fights.
• Jim O'Brien has been placed on waivers but is set to play tonight. This could be a chance to see if anyone will take the contract off Ottawa's hands or it could be a move to send him down to the AHL. O'Brien does have a one-way contract and thus would have to be paid his NHL salary of $650,000.
• Tonight will be Craig Anderson's first full game of the preseason. How will he look? Is there any chance Lehner starts in Buffalo if Anderson struggles? Given that Anderson didn't play any games at all last season before the season started, I will guess no.
• Curtis Lazar will play his first ever game against NHL competition tonight. He might get one more game on Sunday before returning to junior.
• Jared Cowen is the second most experienced skater for the Senators tonight with 90 games. Jim O'Brien is third with 63 and Mika Zibanejad is fourth with 51. This means I am done analysing this game.