Game 17 preview: Florida Panthers @ Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators will look to extend their winning streak to three games when they host the Florida Panthers this afternoon at 2:00. It is early of course, but a win would move the Senators above the Canadiens for the last playoff spot in the eastern conference. Robin Lehner will start again. Patrick Wiercioch will play while Eric Gryba is a healthy scratch.

Here are the lineups (the combinations are my guess):

MacArthur - Turris - Ryan
Greening - Spezza - Zibanejad
Michalek - Smith - Neil
Kassian - Grant - Conacher

Cowen - Karlsson
Methot - Borowiecki
Wiercioch - Phillips

Lehner (starter)
Anderson

Some notes for today:

• The Senators are 5-0-2 against the eastern conference and 1-6-2 against the west. It is a good thing they will play more against the east.
• After his three point night, Bobby Ryan now leads the Senators in goals and points. Been quite the start for the unfit guy. Just imagine what he could do with a little more training right?
• The Senators had two goals from defencemen on Thursday but none from Erik Karlsson. I bet the little guy is going to get back to getting points today.
• This is a nice little stretch for the Senators to make up for the earlier struggles. After today, Ottawa has Philadelphia, Boston, Columbus and Philadelphia again.
• Robin Lehner has saved 94.7% of shots in seven games (really six games as one of them was three minutes). Josh Harding has saved 94.9% of shots in 13 games. However, Harding has faced 273 shots while Lehner has faced 243 shots.
• Lehner has the highest career save percentage in the NHL among goalies with 30+ games. He is also up to 999 career shots faced now with a 93% save percentage. He has also stopped 93.1% of 794 even strength shots. According to this article from Eric T at SBN, a goaltender with a 93% save percentage over 1,000 even strength shots has a true talent of a 92.4% goaltender and there is a 95% chance he is between 91.5% and 93.3%.
• Former Senators Jesse Winchester has been suspended three games for his hit on Chris Kelly against the Bruins.
• Today's attendance might be one of the lowest in recent history.

Here are some stats leaders for the two teams tonight.