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Ottawa Senators' Mark Stone (16), right, attempts to get the puck around Detroit Red Wings' goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) during third period NHL hockey action, in Ottawa, on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. The NHL has suspended Stone two games for an illegal hit to the head of Detroit Red Wings forward Landon Ferraro.FRED CHARTRAND/The Canadian Press

The Ottawa Senators will have some familiar faces back in their lineup against Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night, but they will be without leading scorer Mark Stone.

Stone was suspended for two games as a result of his hit to the head of Detroit's Landon Ferraro on Saturday night.

Stone, who leads the Senators with 13 points, was assessed a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head during the game. Ferraro initially left the game but did return.

"We're obviously disappointed with the decision to suspend Mark," said Senators general manager Bryan Murray. "He has no history of illegal hits and we feel he was in pursuit of the puck and fighting for his ice when the contact occurred. While discouraging to us, we're left to accept the league's ruling."

The league called the hit a "reckless shoulder to the head." Stone, who is not a repeat offender, forfeits $37,634.40 (U.S.) in salary and will also miss Ottawa's game Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets.

Following Monday's practice, Senators coach Dave Cameron said, in his opinion, the hit was a result of the speed of the game.

"I thought it was a hockey play, and the league thinks it's a hit to the head," Cameron said. "That's all that matters – is what the league thinks. It doesn't matter what I think.

"That's a hockey play. The speed of the game. There's certainly no intent, no intent whatsoever."

The suspension is sure to irk Cameron even more as he couldn't understand why no penalty was assessed to Henrik Zetterberg when he hit Jean-Gabriel Pageau on Friday night, resulting in Pageau getting a bloody nose.

With Stone out, the Senators are getting some reinforcement. Mike Hoffman, who missed four games due to a groin injury, and Curtis Lazar, who missed three games due to a concussion, have been cleared to play.

Hoffman, who has four goals and eight points, is expected to return to the top line alongside Kyle Turris.

Lazar appeared to be the extra forward Monday at practice, but he's hopeful to get back into the lineup as soon as possible now that he has full medical clearance.

"I'm excited, I'm antsy. I just want to get out there again and help the guys," Lazar said.

The Senators will face Mike Condon as star goalie Carey Price is sidelined with an injury. Earlier this season, Condon made 20 saves in a 3-1 victory over the Senators and is a perfect 4-0 this season.

Cameron opted not to name his starting goalie, but said he would ultimately go with whoever he felt gave the team the best chance to win.

The Senators have struggled with consistency of late, and Cameron admitted it's frustrating.

In many ways Cameron is seeing two teams. Ottawa is 4-1-0 on the road, but a dismal 1-3-2 at home.

"We seem to play with more emotion on the road," Cameron said. "At home, I don't see that spark. It's something we've been talking about, something obviously we've addressed numerous times and we still haven't found the solution to it yet."

Cameron says he's baffled by the roller-coaster play and says it's on the players to "own it."

"When your team takes ownership of their play, that's when your team is going to play its best," Cameron said. "That's why when you ask me the solutions, I just like to put it back on them, ask them, because then they take ownership and that's when your team's going to play its best."

When asked, players seem to be at a loss to explain the lack of consistent play and the difference between road and home games.

"I wish we knew," Turris said. "We just seem like our third periods haven't been very good, we've had some slow starts here at home and we can't keep letting that happen and we've got to stay out of the box. I don't know why we're having letdowns, but it's something we've got to talk through and work through."

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