Silver Nuggets: Karlsson out with flu, Leclaire starts

It's another Ottawa Senators game day, as the team prepares for a match against the Los Angeles Kings. Here are some stories making the rounds today:

• Erik Karlsson will sit tonight with the flu. Cory Clouston says he's probably healthy enough to play, but that it'd be good for him to "sit and think about his game." Ouch. David Hale, perennial winner and Ottawa Senators' good luck charm, steps into the lineup. (Score)
• Pascal Leclaire gets the start in net. (Mendes)
• The Senators' plus-minuses are not very good. (Sun)
• Allen Panzeri looks at many questions plaguing this Senators team. He also compares Nick Foligno to Bill Muckalt. (Citizen)
• Out of all members of the Prediction Panel, only Jeremy Milks thinks the Senators will win tonight. (Citizen)
• Cory Clouston is shaking up the lines for tonight's game, which means Chris Kelly will be starting on the top line with Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson. I kid you not. (Citizen)
• Hockey's Future takes a nice look at the three Ottawa Senators prospects in the CHL, including Jared Cowen. (Hockey's Future)
• We don't usually link to message boards, but this is an insightful post about how the players in Binghamton have done for their first 20 games, and worth checking out if you're interested in the team's prospects. (HFBoards)