Mason starts for Flyers, Sens battle Bishop (Puck Previews)

Back by popular demand, here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished.

Preview: Ottawa Senators at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30 p.m. The Sens have lost four in a row, and will face their former netminder Ben Bishop in Tampa. Craig Anderson gets the call for Ottawa.

Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. Jussi Jokinen makes his return to Raleigh, and finds a team that could lose its 13th game out of 14 if the Penguins are victorious. Ouch.

Preview: Philadelphia Flyers at New York Islanders, 7 p.m. The Flyers have won eight straight at Nassau, but the Islanders are on a 6-1-1 streak overall. Steve Mason gets his first start as a Flyer.

Preview: San Jose Sharks at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m. Back-to-back losses have slowed the Jackets’ momentum to the playoffs, and they face a Sharks team that’s 8-1-1 and figuring it out. Said Coach Todd McLellan: ''Right now we're playing the type of hockey that allows us to win consistently. At the beginning of the year, scoring five or six goals a night, we looked like the Globetrotters there for a while ... when everything was going our way.”

Preview: St. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m. Brian Elliott gets the nod for the Blues. Mike Fisher is still out for the Predators for at least the next two games.

Preview: Buffalo Sabres at Winnipeg Jets, 8 p.m. The Sabres look for their fourth straight win, while the Jets look to build off a win against the Flyers. Blake Wheeler has gone 10 games without a goal. That’s not good.

Preview: Chicago Blackhawks at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m. The Hawks get Patrick Sharp back tonight after he missed 14 games with an upper body injury.

Preview: Los Angeles Kings at Dallas Stars, 8:30 p.m. The Kings are 11-1-2 in their last 14 visits to Dallas. If they beat the Stars, they actually hand a playoff spot to the Anaheim Ducks. Dustin Penner, on that very fact: “Bittersweet.”

Preview: Washington Capitals at Montreal Canadiens, 7:30 p.m. No Joel Ward or Martin Erat for the Caps, as Michal Neuvirth gets the start. The Habs took the first meeting between the two.

John Buccigross and Hart Trophy talk on today’s podcast. [Marek Vs. Wyshynski]

Check out previews and updated scores for all of today's games on the Y! Sports NHL scores and scheds page. For tonight's starting goalies, check out Goalie Post.