Silver Nuggets: Hasse is impressed; Michalek not ready to return

Headlines for Ottawa Senators gameday against the Ottawa Senators. If you somehow haven't heard, Daniel Alfredsson's 1,000th game with the franchise will be tonight against the Florida Panthers.

• Milan Michalek is not yet ready to return to action. Starting lines will be Regin-Spezza-Alfredsson, Foligno-Fisher-Kovalev, Kelly-Cullen-Shannon, Ruutu-Winchester-Neil (Twitter)
• Pascal Leclaire starts in net tonight. Let's hope he finishes in net, too. (Twitter)
• Despite what some would have you believe, Hasse was impressed with Daniel Alfredsson. (Sun)
• Alfie is "in good company" as a hated man in Leafs Nation. I wouldn't want it any other way. (Toronto Sun)
• Donny looks at Alfie's history of Panther poaching, too. (Litter Box Cats)
• Ottawa ranks 12 in the SBN Power Rankings again; fifth-highest Eastern Conference team. (SB Nation)
• Young correctly points out that with Filip Kuba injured, and besides Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips, Chris Campoli has more NHL playoff experience than any other Sens d-man. (Consensus)

• The Binghamton Senators aren't out of the playoffs yet: They're four points behind Norfolk with one game in hand and four games left in the season. They finish out the season with two games against the last-in-the-East Division Adirondack Phantoms, and then a home-and-home against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pens.
• The Elmira Jackals, Ottawa's ECHL affiliate, clinched the East Division title in the American Division. They take on the Florida Everblades (seriously) in the first round of the playoffs, which begin tonight.
• The Ottawa 67's play game four of their second-round series against the Mississauga St. Mike's Majors tonight. Ottawa's up 2-1 in the series, and Sens prospect Corey Cowick has 2G and 1A so far.
• Mike Chen takes a look at who could/might/will make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. (From the Rink)
• Ten reasons to keep watching the Edmonton Oilers. You had me at Hilary Duff. (Copper & Blue)
• The IIHF's U18 tourney starts next week. How does Canada stack up? (WCH Blog)
• Herb Brooks Kid is back, and hilariouser than ever (via Puck Daddy):