Game 36 preview: Detroit Red Wings @ Ottawa Senators

Daniel Alfredsson will have his jersey retired tonight when the Ottawa Senators host the Detroit Red Wings. The Senators are coming of a disappointing 4-3 loss against the Rangers, a game that they dominated and led by two goals. The Red Wings lost 4-3 to Buffalo and are in last place in the Atlantic Division, nine points behind Ottawa.

Ottawa will be without the injured Zack Smith, with his place in the lineup being taken by Casey Bailey.

Here are the expected lines and pairings:

Dzingel - Turris - Ryan
Pyatt - Brassard - Stone
Hoffman - Pageau - Lazar
Bailey - Kelly - Neil

Methot - Karlsson
Phaneuf - Ceci
Borowiecki - Wideman

Condon (starter)
O'Connor

Some notes for tonight:

• There is obviously some recency bias here, but I am not sure if I have ever seen a team hit as many posts in the third period when needing a goal badly.
• The Detroit Red Wings are a complete mess. Ottawa has a great opportunity to finish 2016 with a win and keep themselves in the hunt for a division title. I was not expecting to be typing those words going into 2017.
• Tom Pyatt having better linemates than Mike Hoffman is a rather crazy development.
• The Senators could have had a chance to pull into a tie for first place if they hadn't blown that lead. Still, Ottawa has won a lot of games that they didn't deserve, so hard to be too disappointed.
• Mike Condon gave away a couple of bad goals against the Rangers but he has done a good job of keeping the Sens more than afloat in Craig Anderson's absence.
• Ottawa currently has four forwards on pace for 40+ points.
• Mark Borowiecki has closed to within a point of Marc Methot!
• Zack Smith actually has one more shot on goal than Kyle Turris this season.
• The Red Wings have won just eight times in regulation this season. Yikes.
• I will be in attendance in the seventh row on the right side of the blue line Ottawa attacks in the first period! /

Here are some stats for the two teams tonight. All stats are from NHL.com except Corsi and Fenwick are from Corsica.