021617SensDevils1

SENATORS (29-19-6) at DEVILS (24-22-10)
7 p.m. ET; MSG+, TSN5, RDS, NHL.TV

Senators team scope

Ottawa Senators goaltender Mike Condon will make his second start in his past five games. Condon is 3-0-1 with a 1.70 goals-against average and .935 save percentage in four career games against the New Jersey Devils. Right wing Curtis Lazar, who had been a healthy scratch the past four games, will start in place of Chris Neil. "For me I make decisions every game," coach Guy Boucher said. "We needed Neil last game [a 3-2 loss at the Buffalo Sabres] for physicality, and here in New Jersey with Taylor Hall, it's all about speed." The Senators are in second place in the Atlantic Division, six points behind the Montreal Canadiens, who have played four more games. "We're expecting a lot of urgency and desperation on their part and we absolutely have to match that," Boucher said. "It's going to be a fight until the very end of the season." The Senators are conducting their father-son trip over the next two road games at New Jersey and at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. "We've done some nice things on the road, we have an approach that's worked for us, and this is a rebound game [after losing to Buffalo]," Boucher said. "We had the fathers in the meeting, fathers on the ice and it's a great day to say thanks for what they've done in the players' lives. No better day to rebound than with them around." Right wing Tom Pyatt will play his 300th NHL game.

Devils team scope

Devils forward Beau Bennett will return after missing the past nine games with a left ankle injury. Bennett, who likely will play on the fourth line alongside center Sergey Kalinin and right wing PA Parenteau, has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 40 games. "When Beau got hurt, he was playing good hockey," coach John Hynes said. "We'll see where it goes. The guys have to be going. This is a game we need to have strong urgency in and we need to have everyone going right away. If someone's not ready to go, I don't know if we'll keep them [on the same line]." The Devils, 4-1-1 in their past six games, are five points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Goaltender Cory Schneider will make his seventh straight start. Schneider is 6-1-1 with a 1.59 GAA and .945 save percentage in eight games against the Senators. "The Senators are playing well," Schneider said. "They have depth and they're playing as a good team."

Senators projected lineup
Devils projected lineup

Taylor Hall -- Travis Zajac -- Kyle Palmieri
Miles Wood -- Adam Henrique -- Michael Cammalleri
Pavel Zacha -- Jacob Josefson -- Stefan Noesen
Beau Bennett -- Sergey Kalinin -- PA Parenteau
Andy Greene -- Ben Lovejoy
Jon Merrill -- Steven Santini
John Moore -- Damon Severson
Cory Schneider
Keith Kinkaid
Scratched:Devante Smith-Pelly, Seth Helgeson, Joseph Blandisi
Injured:Kyle Quincey (upper body)

Status report

Claesson will replace Methot. ... Quincey, who will miss his fourth game, was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 4. "He's not ready to play today, but that doesn't mean he won't be ready for the weekend," Hynes said.

Who's hot

Karlsson has seven points (one goal, six assists) in his past seven games. ... Henrique has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his past seven games. Hall has six points (two goals, four assists) in his past six games.