This evening will be an exciting night of hockey in the nation’s capital when the Ottawa Senators will host the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL 100 Classic. The venue of Lansdowne Park is expected to draw a large number of Habs and Sens fans alike for the first outdoor game of the season.
Montreal (14-14-4) snapped a three-game losing streak in their game on Thursday night, defeating the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in overtime at the Bell Centre., despite finding themselves behind after the Devils’ first shot of the game. From that moment, Canadiens all-star goaltender Carey Price didn’t look back, stopping the next 31 in a row en route to his ninth victory of the season.
Andrew Shaw got the equalizer with his eighth, and Tomas Plekanec found himself alone in overtime after a nice individual effort by Charles Hudon. For Plekanec, it was his first goal since November 4, a span of 18 games.
The Senators (10-13-7) have been really struggling this season. With just one win in their last six games (1-4-1), and two wins in their last 14, including four shutout losses, things have not been going their way.
Their last game was a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers on Wednesday night. Forwards Bobby Ryan and Zack Smith, and defender Cody Ceci scored for Ottawa, while Craig Anderson made 27 saves for his eighth win of the season.
The Canadiens and Senators are meeting for already the third time this season. Montreal first faced Ottawa on October 30, and took the Senators to town, beating them by an 8-3 margin. Both Hudon and Artturi Lehkonen each had a pair of goals while backup goaltender Al Montoya made 25 saves in the win.
Just under a month later on November 29, the Senators traveled to the Bell Centre, and although it was a much closer game, the Canadiens still edged them out 2-1. Jonathan Drouin and Phillip Danault scored for Montreal, and Price made 27 saves.
Puck drop — weather permitting — is at 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST.
How to watch
In Canada: CBC, Sportsnet, Sportsnet Now (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the USA: NBCSN, NBCSN online
Elsewhere: NHL.tv/NHL GameCentre Live, NHL Center Ice
Montreal Canadiens projected lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Galchenyuk | Jonathan Drouin | Andrew Shaw |
| Max Pacioretty | Phillip Danault | Paul Byron |
| Charles Hudon | Tomas Plekanec | Brendan Gallagher |
| Nicolas Deslauriers | Byron Froese | Daniel Carr |
Defencemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Jordie Benn | Shea Weber |
| Karl Alzner | Jeff Petry |
| David Schlemko | Jakub Jerabek |
Goaltenders
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Carey Price |
| Antti Niemi |
Scratches: Jacob de la Rose, Joe Morrow
Injuries: Ales Hemsky (concussion-like symptoms), Al Montoya (concussion), Artturi Lehkonen (upper body)
Ottawa Senators projected lineup
Forwards
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Bobby Ryan | Matt Duchene | Mark Stone |
| Tom Pyatt | Derick Brassard | Chris Dzingel |
| Zach Smith | Jean-Gabriel Pageau | Mike Hoffman |
| Alexandre Burrows | Nate Thompson | Nick Paul |
Defencemen
| Left Defence | Right Defence |
|---|---|
| Johnny Oduya | Erik Karlsson |
| Dion Phaneuf | Cody Ceci |
| Frederik Claesson | Thomas Chabot |
Goaltenders
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Craig Anderson |
| Mike Condon |
The game will be a homecoming for four members of the combined squads. The Senators have Cody Ceci and Jean-Gabriel Pageau who are also Ottawa natives, Derick Brassard grew up in Hull, just across the Ottawa River. The Canadiens forward Paul Byron is also an Ottawa native.
Tonight’s game will be the fourth outdoor game for the Canadiens. They have previously faced the Edmonton Oilers back in 2003, winning 4-3, then got shut out 4-0 to the Calgary Flames in 2011, and then most recently won 5-1 in the Winter Classic back on New Year’s Day 2016.
For the Senators, it will be their second outdoor classic, previously playing the Vancouver Canucks in the 2014 Heritage Classic, beating them 4-2 in Vancouver.
Tonight’s game should be a very exciting matchup as these division rivals are both on the outside of playoff picture, and desperate to get back in.
