Game 73 preview: Canadiens de Montréal @ Ottawa Senators

Ten games. That is what remains between us and being put out of our misery. Erik Karlsson has a few individual targets to hit. Mark Stone and Mika Zibanejad are also within touching distance of setting career highs in points. Mike Hoffman has set a career high in points and is one off a career high in goals. Aside from that, there is not much to play for but play they will.

Ryan Dzingel will be a healthy scratch and will be replaced by Matt Puempel while Andrew Hammond will start in net. The Canadiens will continue to be without P.K. Subban who is suffering from a microsprain in the neck. Here is the expected lineup.

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

Methot - Karlsson
Phaneuf - Ceci
Kostka - Wideman

Hammond (starter)
Anderson

Some notes for tonight:

• The Senators are 10th last and two points ahead of the ninth last Canadiens. The Habs have a game in hand.
• Mark Stone had his seven-game points streak end last night.
• Scott Gomez has one assist and six shots on goal in eight games with Ottawa.
• Mika Zibanejad is two points behind last season's career high of 46 points.
• Mark Stone is six points behind last season's career high of 64 points.
• Erik Karlsson is five points behind his career high of 78 points.
• Mike Hoffman, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Zack Smith have already set career highs in points.
• Hoffman has eight goals, 12 points and 47 shots in 171:15 of power play time while Bobby Ryan has six goals, 15 points and 33 shots in 216:58 of power play time.
• Ottawa has allowed the first goal in 47 out of 72 games.
• Alex Chiasson has one more goal and seven more shots than Curtis Lazar this season.
• After a productive start, Dion Phaneuf has been without a point in his last eight games.
• Alex Galchenyuk has 12 goals in his last 11 games./