Preview: Senators at Kings

SENATORS (16-9-2) at KINGS (13-11-2)
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Senators team scope

Defenseman Marc Methot likely will return to the Ottawa Senators lineup. Methot (hip) was scratched against the San Jose Sharks (a 4-2 win Wednesday). "I think I'm good so far, but I'm going to leave the decision up to the coaches," Methot said after practice Friday at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, Calif. "I'm ready to rock and I feel good on the ice." Forward Chris Neil would become the 46th skater to play his first 1,000 NHL games with the same team. The fourth-line right wing has scored 112 goals for the Senators, assisted on 136, and has 2,492 penalty minutes, the most among active NHL players.

Kings team scope

Los Angeles Kings coach Darryl Sutter said he will make lineup changes. Nic Dowd, who has centered the third line most of the season, was an extra skater at practice Friday, with fourth-line left wing Kyle Clifford. Andy Andreoff and Devin Setoguchi, each a healthy scratch the past two games, skated on the third line with Dustin Brown. Dwight King moved down to the fourth line with Nicholas Shore and Jordan Nolan. "I think that line was having a really hard time 5-on-5, so we put [King] in there," Sutter said. "That line's got to produce for us, but it's also got to be able to play against good players, and if you're getting scored on, there's a good chance you're on the short end of it." Setoguchi and Andreoff could be out again once the Kings start a stretch of nine road games Tuesday. "I'd like to get those guys in before we get out there," Sutter said. "Get one game at home, if we can, before we go. That's what I'd like to do, so we just wanted to do that at practice today and see how it looked."

Senators projected lineup

Mike Hoffman -- Derick Brassard -- Mark Stone
Ryan Dzingel -- Kyle Turris -- Bobby Ryan
Zack Smith -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Tom Pyatt
Buddy Robinson -- Chris Kelly -- Chris Neil
Marc Methot -- Erik Karlsson
Dion Phaneuf -- Cody Ceci
Mark Borowiecki -- Chris Wideman
Mike Condon
Andrew Hammond
Scratched: Andreas Englund, Phil Varone, Craig Anderson
Injured: Clarke MacArthur (concussion), Fredrik Claesson (lower body), Curtis Lazar (concussion)

Kings projected lineup

Marian Gaborik -- Anze Kopitar -- Trevor Lewis
Tanner Pearson -- Jeff Carter -- Tyler Toffoli
Dustin Brown -- Andy Andreoff -- Devin Setoguchi
Dwight King -- Nick Shore -- Jordan Nolan
Derek Forbort -- Drew Doughty
Jake Muzzin -- Alec Martinez
Kevin Gravel -- Matt Greene
Peter Budaj
Jeff Zatkoff
Scratched: Nic Dowd, Kyle Clifford, Tom Gilbert
Injured: Brayden McNabb (collarbone), Jonathan Quick (groin)

Status report

The Kings defense pairs were shuffled in practice, but Sutter didn't confirm they would be changed for the game. Pairs were different for the second and third periods of a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. "During practice you really can't read much into it," Sutter said. "I think during the game last night, I just think Derek was having a real hard time last night, and [Muzzin] and [Martinez] were not helping each other out much last night. They got bunched up more than once."

Who's hot

Karlsson has a three-game goal streak with eight points in the past three games. … Hoffman has five goals and four assists in a six-game point streak, six goals and seven assists in the past nine games with a point in eight of the nine. … Stone has four goals and four assists in the past six games. … Kopitar has five assists in the past three games and needs two for 700 in his NHL career. … Doughty has two goals and an assist in the past two games.