Game 3: Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT
In Canada: CITY-TV, Sportsnet East (English), TVA Sports (French)
Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
If you asked them when the schedule was first released, most fans would have probably accepted two points from the first two games. After all, a home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs followed the next day by a trip to Boston for a date with the Bruins, is not exactly a gentle way to ease into a season. Unsurprisingly, a Habs team that eschewed half of their preseason had difficulty getting out of second gear against two of the better teams in the NHL.
To that end, both the pessimists and the optimists have plenty of ammunition as the Habs return to Montreal for a three-game homestand. The good? Samuel Montembeault, Lane Hutson (plus a shoutout to Kaiden Guhle), and the veterans—with both Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson already lighting the lamp. The bad? The analytics, the disjointed first line, and Cayden Primeau (for the fifth and sixth Bruins goals).
Then there’s the confusing and conflicting: Mike Matheson is eating 26 minutes a game to shield a very youthful blue line, but is mostly treading water while on the ice. Arber Xhekaj exudes the confidence that this team wants to have, but is also a team-worst minus three. Finally, the power play, after a pre-season goose egg, has converted once in each game. It’s also looked utterly out of sorts and completely non-threatening at times, especially when Hutson hasn’t been on the ice.
Well, the time for warm up is quickly running out, and the Canadiens need to get themselves into gear sooner rather than later as the season settles into a steady rhythm.
| Canadiens | Statistics | Senators |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1-0 | Record | 1-0-0 |
| 34.9% (32nd) | Scoring-chances-for % | 35.0% (31st) |
| 2.50 (21st) | Goals per game | 3.00 (16th) |
| 3.00 (8th) | Goals against per game | 1.00 (3rd) |
| 18.2% (18th) | PP% | 33.3% (6th) |
| 88.9% (9th) | PK% | 100.0% (T-1st) |
| 0-2-1 | Head-to-Head Record (23-24) | 3-0-0 |
The Ottawa Senators, now entering year eight of their four-year rebuild, know full-well the consequences of stumbling out of the gate. The Senators opened last season with a 8-9-0 record in October and November. The season before that: 8-13-1. The one before that: 4-14-1. They’ve also been losing pieces originally acquired to aid a (non-starting) playoff push: Alex DeBrincat departed last off-season, Vladimir Tarasenko was traded away at the last deadline, and Jakob Chychrun was sent to the Washington Capitals this off-season.
General manager Steve Staios has taken a cautious approach since being installed last November, choosing instead to see how his core of Brady Tkachuk (signed until 2028), Tim Stützle (2031), Josh Norris (2030), Jake Sanderson (2032), and Thomas Chabot (2028) progress over the next few years. Staios has mostly worked around the edges, acquiring depth pieces such as Michael Amadio, Noah Gregor, and David Perron via free agency. He did make two big splashes though. First, he replaced head coach D.J. Smith with Travis Green. Second, he traded for goaltender Linus Ullmark in an attempt to hopefully reinforce a position that has been the Senators’ Achilles’ heel for years.
Ullmark’s debut was certainly worthy of the faith that the Senators have in him, outdueling Sergei Bobrovsky in a 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. In that game, Ottawa jumped out to a first period 2-0 lead and then weathered a heavy third period push from the defending Stanley Cup champions before sealing the victory with an empty netter. Ullmark will likely see his second start of the season on Saturday, probably facing off against Montembeault. Other potential lineup changes—choosing between Oliver Kapanen, Emil Heineman, and Michael Pezzetta, or whether Jayden Struble is ready to draw back into the lineup—remain unclear as of Friday night.
If the Canadiens are going to be an improved team this year, these are the games where they need to be competitive. The Habs did not defeat the Senators in three attempts last season, securing only a single point and being outscored 15 to 7. That has to change if the Canadiens are going to vault the Senators in the Atlantic Division standings.
