OTTAWA SENATORS (8-11-1) at MONTREAL CANADIENS (11-5-4)
(Records entering play Tuesday)
Wednesday, 7:30 p.m, Bell Centre.
TV: Sportsnet.
Radio: TSN 1200 AM, Unique 94.5 FM
THE BIG MATCHUP
Jean-Gabriel Pageau vs. Brendan Gallagher
It has been a special season offensively for Pageau and he always looks forward to facing off against the Canadiens. In 19 career games against the Habs, Pageau has eight goals and four assists. He has played well at both ends of the ice this season and his team needs him to be a force in this one. Gallagher has six goals and seven assists in 28 games against Ottawa, and he has to be stopped for the Senators to have any chance at success.
FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME
1. BACK-TO-BACK CHALLENGE
You rarely see a situation where both teams roll into town having played the night before, but that’s the case here. The Senators were to fly in from Detroit, while the Habs were in Columbus. This is Ottawa’s third set of back-to-back games this season. They went into Tuesday’s contest against the Red Wings with a 2-2-0 record in back-to-backs.
2. CRAIG ANDERSON RETURNS
It’s expected that Craig Anderson will start in net for the Senators against the Habs, but it’s possible Anders Nilsson could play two straight. Anderson has a 12-13-3 record against the Habs with a .893 save-percentage and a 3.23 goals-against average. He recorded 21 stops in a 4-2 victory over the Devils last Wednesday.
3. THE HABS ARE HURTING
You have to take advantage of a team missing the kind of top-end talent the Habs are missing right now. Forwards Paul Byron (knee surgery) and Jonathan Drouin (wrist surgery) are sidelined for extended periods. The Habs suddenly don’t have firepower up front.
4. EXPECT TO SEE KEITH KINKAID
Yes, the Senators have faced a lot of backup goalies this season. That’s just the reality and it’s going to continue. Carey Price started for the Canadiens in Columbus on Tuesday, so there’s a good chance Keith Kinkaid will start against Ottawa. He has a 3-2-0 record in six career games against the Senators with a 3.19 goals-against average and .894 save-percentage.
5. A LITTLE HISTORY
The Senators haven’t faced the Habs since Dec. 15, 2018, when Montreal won 5-2 at the Bell Centre. It was the 600th career victory for Montreal head coach Claude Julien. Colin White and Mikkel Boedker scored that night for the Senators. Ottawa winger Tyler Ennis has 11 goals and nine assists in 30 career games against the Habs. This will be his first time facing the Canadiens as a member of the Senators.
SENATORS ROSTER
FORWARDS
Nick Paul — Jean-Gabriel Pageau — Connor Brown
Brady Tkachuk — Colin White — Anthony Duclair
Vladislav Namestnikov — Logan Brown — Tyler Ennis
Filip Chlapik — Chris Tierney — Max Veronneau
DEFENCEMEN
Thomas Chabot — Nikita Zaitsev
Mark Borowiecki — Dylan DeMelo
Cody Goloubef — Ron Hainsey
GOALTENDERS
Craig Anderson
Anders Nilsson
CANADIENS ROSTER
FORWARDS
Tomas Tatar — Phillip Danault — Brendan Gallagher
Max Domi — Nick Suzuki — Joel Armia
Artturi Lehkonen — Jesperi Kotkaniemi — Jordan Weal
Charles Hudon — Nate Thompson — Nick Cousins
DEFENCEMEN
Ben Chiarot — Shea Weber
Victor Mete — Jeff Petry
Brent Kulak — Cale Fleury
GOALTENDERS
Carey Price
Keith Kinkaid
INJURIES
OTT : Artem Anisimov, Scott Sabourin, Bobby Ryan, Erik Brannstrom
MTL : Paul Byron, Jonathan Drouin
SPECIAL TEAMS
OTT : PP 8.8% (31st); PK 82% (16th)
MTL : PP 20.3% (15th); PK 71.9% (30th)
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
