Game 68 preview: Ottawa Senators @ Carolina Hurricanes

After going pointless for the third straight game, Erik Karlsson has now just three points in his last eight games and is in severe danger of missing out on the 90 points threshold. He is still tied for third in the NHL with 68 points but the gap between him and the chasing pack is closing.

Dave Cameron will go with the same hilarious lineup for tonight's game. Patrick Wiercioch will be a scratch, Mike Hoffman will be on the fourth line, Bobby Ryan will be on the third line, Alex Chiasson will be on the second line. Andrew Hammond is expected to start. Here is the rest of the lineup:

Smith - Pageau - Stone
Paul - Zibanejad - Chiasson
Dzingel - Gomez - Ryan
Hoffman - Lazar - Neil

Methot - Karlsson
Phaneuf - Ceci
Kostka - Wideman

Hammond (starter)
Driedger

Some notes for tonight:

• Ottawa could move into 10th place in the East with a win tonight.
• The Senators actually played a really good game against Dallas, considering the opponent and the fact the game started less than 24 hours after their game against the Leafs.
• Since the starts of 2014-2015, Mike Hoffman is tied for eighth in the NHL with 36 goals at 5-on-5. Only Alex Ovechkin, Vladimir Tarasenko, Tyler Seguin, Patrick Kane, Filip Forsberg, Matt Duchene, Steven Stamkos have more.
• This is to say Hoffman is not just a good goal scorer. He is an elite goal scorer. Some of it is that Hoffman has a really high shooting percentage, but he is also 40th in 5-on-5 shots on goal in that span. And no one would argue that Hoffman has an excellent shot.
• Which makes Hoffman's demotion in a lost season really baffling. This team is such a mess.
• Dion Phaneuf has seven points in 13 games with Ottawa.
• Even the most optimistic fan would struggle to get excited for reasons to watch the final 15 games. They are too far out of a playoff spot, they are too far ahead of a really top pick. Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone provide some wow moments, but there isn't much else going on.
• The Senators have seven games remaining at home and eight on the road.
• Erik Karlsson is up to 15th in the league in shots on goal now. He is shooting 5.3% for the season.
• I don't have a problem Scott Gomez as a stop-gap to see out the season, but is anyone else worried that he might be extended for a veteran presence or something along those lines?/