Montreal Canadiens @ Ottawa Senators
How to watch
Puck drop: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT
In Canada: CITY-TV, TVA Sports, Sportsnet 360
Elsewhere: NHL.tv/Rogers NHL Live
The Canadiens are riding a three-game winning streak, have nine points out of a possible 12, and are currently sitting at number two in the Atlantic Division. Not a bad start for a team people had no expectations for.
After beating the Pittsburgh Penguins for a second time already this season, then clipping the wings of Detroit in a 7-3 victory, the Habs made the Blues think they actually had a chance on Wednesday evening. That is, before Brendan Gallagher got the puck past Jake Allen in the final period with 9.7 seconds left on the clock to clinch the game.
Tonight, they face the Ottawa Senators, who have surprised everyone to sit fourth in the division. It will be the first time these two teams have met during the regular season. In the pre-season they split the difference with the Habs coming out on top during the first contest before the Sens clued up the pre-season by shutting the door on the Canadiens.
Tale of the Tape
| Canadiens | Statistic | Senators |
|---|---|---|
| 4-1-1 | Record | 3-2-1 |
| 3-1-0 | H2H Record (17-18) | 1-3-0 |
| 54.23% (6th) | Corsi-for pct. | 42.36% (29th) |
| 20 (15th) | Goals for | 24 (7th) |
| 15 (7th) | Goals against | 22 (21st) |
| 15.4% (23rd) | PP% | 27.8% (7th) |
| 72.2% (24th) | PK% | 78.3% (16th) |
The Senators will have to soldier on without star rookie Brady Tkachuk, who’s sitting on the sidelines for a month, suffering a torn ligament after delivering a hard hit on Monday night against the Dallas Stars. Tkachuk had been contributing offensively so far this season with six points in four games.
Coach Guy Boucher is on the hunt for a new linemate for Mark Stone and Chris Tierney. Maybe with the lack of Tkachuk, Tierney will slow down on the points, as he’s tied with Thomas Chabot with eight points in six games.
Not to worry: the Habs have one of those on their side, too. With eight points (3G, 5A) in six games, Tomas Tatar has been leading the charge and earning his top-line spot ever since he first hit the ice with the Canadiens. The all-around play of the offence has been exciting to watch, with 11 different players stepping up and notching a goal, and every player, with the exception of four, grabbing at least one point.
After missing two games due to the flu, Carey Price was back between the pipes for Wednesday night’s game and will likely take the spot again tonight. However, they’ll be missing Tomas Plekanec as he’s down for the count with a back injury.
Related
Tomas Plekanec won’t join Habs in Ottawa for game against Senators
If the Habs continue to play like a team, displaying their passion and determination as they have been since the first puck drop of the season, it’s in Ottawa’s best interest to not let their guard down.
