For the second time this season, the Montreal Canadiens are set to host the Ottawa Senators tonight at the Bell Center. In their first encounter, Montreal jumped to a 2-0 lead before Ottawa rallied to not only tie but take a 3-2 lead, which lasted until Ivan Demidov scored a late equalizer with under three minutes remaining. Alex Newhook then secured the win for Montreal with a decisive goal, earning the team two points.
Many expected the Senators to falter following the injury of captain Brady Tkachuk on October 13, but Ottawa managed to hold steady until his return on November 28 against the St. Louis Blues. Currently, Ottawa trails Montreal by just one point in the tight Eastern Conference race. However, since Tkachuk’s comeback, the Senators have yet to win, dropping games 4-3 to the Blues and 6-1 to the Dallas Stars. Over the last 10 games, Ottawa holds a 5-4-1 record, while Montreal is at 4-5-1.
Montreal coach Martin St. Louis confirmed that Samuel Montembault will start in goal, as he did in their first matchup, where he saved 14 of 17 shots. Montembault, from Bécancourt, sports a 4-4-0 record with a 3.15 goals-against average and .884 save percentage against Ottawa. Jakub Dobes, expected to start Wednesday against Winnipeg, hasn’t faced the Senators yet.
Ottawa coach Travis Green has not announced his goalie, but it’s likely to be Linus Ullmark. Ullmark has a 4-4-1 record against Montreal, with a 3.40 GAA and .871 save percentage. Backup Livi Melilainen has no experience against the Canadiens.
Offensively, Montreal will need to watch veteran Claude Giroux, who has 39 points in 52 games against them, although he’s currently underperforming. Drake Batherson, with 28 points in 29 games, is a player to monitor, along with Tkachuk (27 points in 30 games) and Tim Stutzle, who has 21 points in 24 games against Montreal.
For the Canadiens, Cole Caufield is scoring hot with a seven-game streak, netting two goals and six assists, and boasts 14 points in 15 games against Ottawa. Caufield is close to tying Martin Ruszynski for 43rd place in all-time Canadiens scoring. Captain Nick Suzuki is also on a five-game scoring run (three goals, four assists) with 22 points in 30 games. Brendan Gallagher, Montreal’s top scorer against Ottawa (29 points), will mark his 50th game against the Senators tonight.
Montreal has won four of the last 10 games between the teams, including four of the last five meetings. Ottawa’s last win on Montreal ice was in January 2024, a 4-1 victory. This game is the second of four meetings this season; the remaining two will take place in Ottawa in January and March.
The Senators rank 11th league-wide with a 21.8% success rate on the power play but struggle on the penalty kill at 69.9%, ranking 31st. Montreal, meanwhile, is ninth with a 23.5% power play conversion but 26th at 76.5% on the penalty kill. Their previous match featured 16 penalty minutes for each team and a fight between Jaden Struble and Nick Cousins, who had previously slashed Demidov in the preseason.
Based on recent practice, Montreal’s lineup should largely resemble the one used against the Colorado Avalanche, with Jaden Struble still day-to-day due to an upper-body injury.
Tonight at the Bell Center is Lane Hutson Bobblehead Night, with the first 8,000 fans receiving a collectible. The puck drops at 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on RDS, TSN2, and TSN 5.
Fan Take: This rematch between the Canadiens and Senators is a thrilling chapter in a closely contested Eastern Conference rivalry. For hockey fans, it showcases the resilience and skill of both teams, potentially shaping playoff momentum and intensifying the battle for supremacy in the division.
