Game 34: Canadiens vs Senators

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (20-11-2) end their homestand Saturday when they host the Senators (14-12-6). The game is set to start at 7:00 and airs on TVA and City.

This is the first of four meetings between the Habs and Sens this season, and the first of two in Montreal. Last season the Habs went 3-1-1 against the Sens, winning the last three meetings. The last two times the Canadiens and Senators met, the Habs overcame three goal deficits to win.

David Desharnais scored in the final second of a 5-4 OT win to draw the Canadiens even in their March 15 win over the Sens, a game that the Habs trailed by three in with less than three and a half minutes remaining.

What to Watch

Desharnais has looked pretty good on a line with P.A. Parenteau since Lars Eller's injury. In the past three games Desharnais has two goals and two assist, while Parenteau has had a pair of assists of his own. The duo practiced on Eller's wings on Friday, which could mean that Alex Galchenyuk will get the opportunity to stay at center as Desharnais shifts to wing.

Kyle Turris is coming off consecutive two point nights, he has three goals and seven points in his last five games. With 23 points, Turris is tied with Erik Karlsson for the team lead, although at minus 12, Karlsson has the team's worst plus/minus rating.

What's at Stake

The Canadiens have taken six of eight possible points since their homestand began, they'll be looking to end on a high before hitting the road until after the New Year. The Senators are seventh of eight in the Atlantic division, but with 34 points in 32 games, it's still too early to count them out of the playoff race.

Who's Out

Max Pacioretty was forced to leave Thursday's game against the Ducks early when he was shoved into the boards by Clayton Stoner. Pacioretty was taken to hospital as a precaution, but the injury doesn't appear serious and he is listed as day-to-day. Defensemen Mike Weaver (concussion) and Bryan Allen (illness) could be healthy enough to dress Saturday, which would mean Michel Therrien will have a decision on who to sit.

The Senators are missing defensemen Patrick Wiercioch (undisclosed) and Marc Methot (back). Zack Smith (wrist) and Chris Neil (knee) are also out.

What Else

Paul MacLean was the first coach to lose his job this season when he was fired by the Senators earlier in the month. MacLean was replaced by David Cameron, MacLean's assistant since 2011. Despite a long coaching career in the AHL and OHL, this is Cameron's first head coaching job in the NHL. He brings a 3-1-1 record into Saturday's game.

The Question Mark

With the holidays around the corner, what would you get Marc Bergevin, Michel Therrien or your favorite Habs player for Christmas?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 to preview the Canadiens and the Senators.

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Pregame Preview: Canadiens at Senators (Game #78)

 
Match Up:

After facing their probable first round opponent on Tuesday, the Canadiens (43-27-7) have their last chance this season to get some revenge on the Senators (32-30-14), their first round opponent last year. The game starts at 7:00 from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, and airs on RDS and CBC.

This is the fifth and final game between these teams this season. The teams each have a pair of wins but Ottawa has the only regulation win of the series. The last time these teams met the Canadiens set an NHL record when they erased Ottawa's 3 goal lead with under 5 minutes remain to come away with a 5-4 OT victory. PK Subban assist on the 3 third period goals and Francis Bouillon scored the OT winner to put this team in the record books and start the Habs on a streak of 8 wins in 9 games.

What to Watch:

Carey Price made 30 saves in Montreal's 3-1 loss to the Lightning on Tuesday, but it will be Peter Budaj getting the start as the Habs prepare for back-to-back games Friday and Saturday. Brendan Gallagher had the lone goal for the Canadiens in Tampa, he's up to 19 on the season and 40 points.

Erik Karlsson is up to 70 points on the year for the Sens, including 20 goals. That puts Karlsson 13 points ahead of Duncan Keith, second in points for a defenseman, but Keith has a +18 rating compared to Karlsson's -18.

What's at Stake:

With the Lightning losing Thursday against the Flames, the Habs and Bolts are in a dead heat for second place in the Atlantic with 5 games left to play. The Canadiens have the edge over the Lightning in terms of the Regulation and Overtime Win tiebreaker. The Senators aren't mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but they have just 6 games remaining with the eighth place Blue Jackets holding an 9-point lead over the Sens.

Who's Out:

Douglas Murray was handed down a 3-game suspension for his elbow to the head of Michael Kostka in Tuesday's game. Murray joins Josh Gorges (hand), Travis Moen (concussion), Dale Weise (wrist) and Brandon Prust (upper body) on the sidelines.

Bobby Ryan had season ending surgery to repair a sports hernia last week, more or less ending any hope the Senators had of reaching the playoffs. Jason Spezza (lower body) is questionable for Friday's match, he's missed the last 2 games for Ottawa. Jared Cowen (lower body) and Colin Greening (lower body) are out.

What Else:

David Desharnais was nominated as the Canadiens candidate for the Bill Masterton trophy awarded to the player that exemplifies perserverance and dedication to the game. Desharnais was undrafted and began his NHL career at the age of 24, playing 6 games in the 2009-2010 season. Now with 252 NHL games under his belt, Desharnais has 49 goals and 160 points to his credit, keeping his spot on the Habs' top line for a third straight season.

The Question Mark:

We want to hear from you, if the Habs are completely healthy when the playoffs begin, who wouldn't be in your starting lineup for Game 1?

Let us know what you think, leave us a comment or send us a tweet with the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.

Be sure to tune into the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show an hour before the puck drop and the Post Game Show 5 minutes after the final siren. Join the live conversation by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.

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Pregame Preview: Canadiens vs Senators (Game #68)

 
Match Up:

The Canadiens (35-25-7) are home to host the Senators (28-25-12) Saturday night at the Bell Centre. The game is set to start at 7:00 and airs on RDS and CBC.

This is the fourth of five matches between the Habs and Sens this season and the last one in Montreal. The last two games between these team have gone to overtime. The Canadiens earned their first win in the season series the last time these teams met, PK Subban scored the OT winner. Tomas Plekanec scored a pair in the 5-4 win, he has just one goal in 19 games since.

What to Watch:

It looks like Michel Therrien will have new line combinations in place for Saturday night. If the lines from Friday's practice hold, Brendan Gallagher will be reunited with Alex Galchenyuk and the struggling Lars Eller, while Thomas Vanek will play alongside Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais. Vanek earned his first point as a Hab in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Bruins, an assist on Desharnais' goal.

After missing much of last season with injury, Erik Karlsson is again the Senators most potent threat with 17 goals and 58 points. Karlsson leads all defensemen in points this season, with 7 more than Duncan Keith in second. Jason Spezza has 6 points in his last two games, which brings him up to 53 points in 60 games played this season.

What's at Stake:

The Canadiens are looking to put an end to their three game losing streak and keep pace with the Maple Leafs and Lightning in the race for second place in the Atlantic Division. The Leafs are three points ahead of the Habs with one more game played, and the Bolts hold a game in hand on the Canadiens and are tied with them in the standings.

Who's Out:

Carey Price (lower body) has yet to play a game since winning Gold in Sochi, but he could be set for a return this weekend, either Saturday against the Sens or Sunday against the Sabres. Josh Gorges (hand) and Michael Bournival (concussion) are still out, though Bournival has been cleared for contact and could be close to a return.

The Senators are missing starting goalie Craig Anderson (shoulder) while Cody Ceci (head) is questionable.

What Else:

The Canadiens are playing their 13th set of back-to-back games this weekend, they head to Buffalo after Saturday's game to face the Sabres on Sunday. Of the 15 games left this season, the Habs will play 8 of them in back-to-back situations. November was the team's busiest month for back-to-back scenarios, they played 4 sets of games on Friday and Saturday night, ending with a modest 4-3-1 record in those situations.

The Question Mark:

We want to hear from you, how satisfied are you with Peter Budaj's performance in Price's absence?

Let us know what you think, leave a comment or send us a tweet by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.

Be sure to tune into the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show an hour before the puck drop and the Post Game Show 5 minutes after the final siren. Join the live conversation by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.

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Pregame Preview: Canadiens at Senators (Game #48)

 
Match Up:

The Canadiens (26-16-5) are in Ottawa Thursday night to take on the Senators (21-18-8) at the Canadian Tire Centre. The game is set to start at 7:30 and can be seen on RDS and TSN.

This is the third of five games between the Habs and Sens, and the Canadiens are still looking for their first win. When these teams met at the beginning of the month, two third period goals helped the Habs force overtime but Clarke MacArthur scored 58 second into OT to give Ottawa the win. Daniel Briere had 2 goals and an assist in the 4-3 loss.

What to Watch:

Max Pacioretty scored his team high 20th goal Tuesday night, he's on pace to beat his career high of 33 goals set in 2011-2012. PK Subban still leads the Habs in points, but he has been shut out since his 4-point night in Dallas 6 games ago. In the 5 games since, Subban has gone -3 with 8 PIM.

Kyle Turris comes into Thursday's match riding a 3-game point streak with 3 goals and an assist in that span. Like the Canadiens, the Senators' top point scorer is also a defenseman. Erik Karlsson leads the way for Ottawa with 10 goals and 43 points.

What's at Stake:

The Canadiens have gone 7-7-2 in their last 16 games, good enough to maintain fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, but they may need to be better down the stretch if they expect to stay ahead of the rest of the Eastern pack. The Senators are among the teams chasing the Habs, they're 7 points back of Montreal and have gone 6-0-1 in their last 7 games.

Who's Out:

The Canadiens are missing Alex Galchenyuk (hand), Ryan White (upper body) and Davis Drewiske (shoulder). David Desharnais missed Tuesday's game with the flu but traveled with the Habs to Ottawa and will be a game time decision Thursday night.

The Senators are without Chris Neil (lower body) which should have Habs fans breathing a sigh of relief. Neil's 6 points in 42 games this season doesn't make him the biggest threat offensively, but he was a major thorn in Montreal's side during last year's playoff meeting.

What Else:

Normally a strength for the Habs, Montreal's power play has been ice cold during their recent stretch of mediocrity. The Canadiens have gone 6-54 in their last 16 games with the man advantage and have been 0 for their last 18. The Senators have been fairly effective against the Habs' power play, they've killed 9 of Montreal's 10 opportunities in the 2 previous games this season.

The Question Mark:

It's time to have your say, is the slumping power play the worst problem affecting the Habs right now or is there a bigger weakness?

Let us know what you think, leave a comment or send us a tweet by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.

Be sure to tune into the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show an hour before the puck drop and the Post Game Show 5 minutes after the final siren. Join the live conversation by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.

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Pregame Preview: Canadiens vs Senators (Game #43)

 
Match Up:

The Canadiens (24-14-4) return home to the Bell Centre Saturday when they play host to the Senators (18-18-7). The puck drops at 7:00 and the game can be seen on RDS and CBC.

This is the second of 5 meetings between the Habs and Sens this season, and the first in Montreal. The Senators won the first match 4-1 despite the Habs scoring the games first goal. Bobby Ryan had a goal and 2 assists for Ottawa.

What to Watch:

PK Subban and Max Pacioretty each had 4-point nights in Dallas. While Subban still leads the team in points, Pacioretty is now second on the team with 25 including 19 goals, despite missing 9 games with injury. Subban is up to 33 points on the season, with 2 goals and 4 assists in the last 2 games.

Bobby Ryan might have the most to prove in Thursday's game, he was left off the Team USA roster when the announcement was made New Year's day. Ryan ha 18 goals on the year, one less than his compatriot Max Pacioretty who was named to the roster.

Like PK Subban, Erik Karlsson leads his team in points with 38 on the season. The Norris Trophy winner from 2011-12 is second in defensive scoring.

What's at Stake:

This is Montreal's first home game of 2014 and their first game in the Bell Centre in two and a half weeks. With 52 points on the year, the Habs are keeping pace with the Lightning and Bruins but are still a step behind both teams.

Who's Out:

The Habs are without, Davis Drewiske (shoulder) and George Parros (concussion). Ryan White left Tuesday's game after a second period fight. Daniel Briere missed the last two games as a healthy scratch.

The Senators are missing Chris Neil (lower body), while Jason Spezza (hip) has missed the last 3 games and is day-to-day.

What Else:

The chase for Gold has heated up with Team USA naming its Olympic roster on New Year's Day. Montreal's Max Pacioretty made the cut but Alex Galchenyuk and Ottawa's Bobby Ryan and Craig Anderson were left off the team. Canada will name it's lineup on Tuesday, Carey Price and PK Subban look likely to make the team, although rumors persist that Subban is a bubble choice. Jason Spezza and Kyle Turris are both long-shots to make the cut, which could leave the Senators without a player on either Team Canada or Team USA. Luckily Erik Karlsson is a pretty safe bet to make Team Sweden.

The Question Mark:

Trade rumors are swirling in Montreal, what type of player do the Habs need most and what can they afford to give up to bring him to the team?

Let us know what you think, leave us a comment below or send us a tweet using the #MTLHockey hashtag.

Be sure to tune into the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show an hour before the puck drop and the Post Game Show 5 minutes after the final siren. Join the live conversation by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.

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Playoff Preview: Montreal Canadiens – Ottawa Senators

Montreal Canadiens (2) vs. Ottawa Senators (7)

Some hockey fans in Canada will certainly be disappointed that the Montreal Canadiens won’t meet the Toronto Maple Leaf in the first round of the playoffs, but that’s not going to happen, in the first round at least, as the Habs will face the Ottawa Senators. The close division rivals will face each other for the first time ever in the playoffs since the arrival of Ottawa in the NHL in the early 1990s. This series will probably turn into an epic goaltending battle and low-scoring affairs between two of the league’s strongest netminders in Craig Anderson and Carey Price.

Both teams had successful regular seasons for different reasons. The Canadiens, who finished dead last in the Eastern Conference in 2011-12 and went through a complete overhaul of their off-ice personnel in the off-season, managed to win the Northeast division when the Boston Bruins stumbled against those same Senators last night. As for the Senators, they were tormented by serious injuries to key players, but they never lost faith or intensity under Jack Adams trophy candidate Paul MacLean. Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza, Craig Anderson, Milan Michalek and Jared Cowan all missed significant time due to injury. The Canadiens and Senators split four games this season, with both teams winning one game in regulation and one game in a shootout, which gave each team five points (2-1-1 record) in the season series, both teams winning their games on home ice. Overall, the Canadiens finished with a 29-14-5 record earning 63 points in 48 games, while the Senators posted a respectable 25-7-6 record for 56 points during the lockout-shortened campaign. The Canadiens finished with the third best offense in the NHL, scoring 149 goals, or 3.04 GF/G, in comparison to the 116 goals, or 2.33 GF/G, the Senators managed to score. On defense, the Senators were dominant, allowing the second fewest goals in the league with 100 goals, or a 2.08 GA/G, compared to the 124 goals, or 2.58 GA/G, allowed by the Canadiens. On paper, the Canadiens have the best team, but we all know that surprises can happen and this series is no exception, yet, let’s have a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each team.

Goaltending: Craig Anderson had a very strong season for the Senators and had he not missed extensive playing time, he would certainly be a top candidate for the Vezina Trophy. The veteran netminder finished with a 12-9-2 record, posting a very solid 1.69 GAA to go along with an excellent .941 save percentage. In Anderson’s absence, back-up Robin Lehner and now-departed giant Ben Bishop posted great numbers and kept the goal-starved Senators in playoff contention. For Montreal, Carey Price faltered down the stretch after a great start, seeing his overall statistics balloon at a 2.59 GAA and a less-than-stellar .905 save percentage. Price, who posted a solid 21-13-4 record despite his recent struggles, will need to avoid giving up bad goals early in the first period, something that has plagued him in the Canadiens’ past ten games. Second violin, Peter Budaj, had a great season for the Canadiens, posting a solid 8-1-1 record with a great 2.29 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 13 games played. His solid play earned his a two-year contractextension with the organization and Michel Therrien is not afraid to use him in big games, so don’t be surprise to see him start a game if Price struggles early. Edge: Ottawa

Defensive corps The Canadiens boast two of the best offensive-minded defensemen in the NHL with PK Subban (11 goals and 27 assists for 38 points in 42 games) and Andrei Markov (10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points in 48 games), while the Senators can count on the return of a healthy Erik Karlsson, the 2012 Norris Trophy winner, who is back from a serious Achilles injury that forced him to miss most of the shortened season. Both defensive brigades boast a solid group of defensemen that provide leadership and experience on the blue line, Josh Gorges and Francis Bouillon for Montreal, and Sergei Gonchar and Chris Phillips for Ottawa. With similar offensive punch of the power play and great defensive prowess on the man advantage, both teams match evenly in this department. Edge: None 

Forward lines The injury to Jason Spezza has left head coach Paul MacLean scramble for offense, which has been the most obvious shortcoming for the Senators this season: the team only had four players with 20 points or more (Alredsson, Turris, Conacher and Zibanejad) this season. Injuries to Milan Michalek and Guillaume Latendresse have hampered Ottawa’s offensive production from its forwards all season long, but now that both have returned, and with the addition of rookie Cory Conacher acquired at the deadline, the Senators can count on a more balanced group of forwards.

On the other hand, the strength of the Canadiens and head coach Michel Therrien has been their ability to consistently roll three productive lines all year long. Eight forwards with 25 points or more for the Bleu Blanc Rouge, including über-talented rookies Alex Galchenyuk and Brandon Gallagher. Rene Bourque would certainly have made it nine if he had not missed 21 games because of a concussion. Overall, the Canadiens will benefit from their balanced line-up, especially since they don’t have a clear-cut first line, which makes it harder for the opposing coach to match up his defensive specialist against the Habs’ top weapons.
Edge: Montreal

Special units The power play of the Canadiens has been deadly at times because of the dynamic duo of Andrei Markov and PK Subban on the point, who have combined for 49 points on the man advantage, helping the Habs’ PP to produce at a 22.4% rate, good for 9th in the NHL. As for the Senators, they have struggled all year on the power play, especially with Karlsson out of the line-up, producing at a paltry 15.8% clip, good for 24th in the league. As for the penalty kill, Ottawa was the best team in the NHL this season, killing penalties at an excellent 88% clip. On the other hand, the Canadiens struggled with a man down, finishing 23rd with a dismal 79.8% rate, costing them more than one game down the stretch. A good measure to assess the quality of a team’s special units is to add both percentages and come to a rate better than 100%. For Ottawa, the rate comes down to 103.8% with is very good. As for Montreal, it is slightly inferior at 102.2%.
Edge: None

After analysing both teams, we can conclude this will be a pretty even matched up series, and it will probably come down to home-ice advantage as both teams won at home against the other team during the regular season.Fearless prediction: Montreal wins in 7 gamesProbable lines: 

Michael Ryder-Tomas Plekanec-Brian Gionta 

Max Pacioretty-David Desharnais-Rene Bourque 

Alex Galchenyuk-Lars Eller-Brendan Gallagher 

Travis Moen-Jeff Halpern-Brandon Prust 

Healthy scratches: Colby Armstrong, Ryan White, Gabriel Dumont 

Defensive pairings: 

Andrei Markov-P.K. Subban 

Josh Gorges-Raphael Diaz 

Francis Bouillon-Jarred Tinordi 

Healthy scratches: Tomas Kaberle, Davis Drewiske, Yannick Weber 

Injured player: Alexei Emelin (knee, out for the season) 

Goaltending: Carey Price Peter BudajProbable lines: Milan Michalek-Kyle Turris-Daniel Alfredsson 

Guillaume Latendresse-Mika Zibanejad-Jakob Silfverberg 

Colin Greening-Zack Smith-Chris Neil 

Cory Conacher-Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Erik Condra 

Healthy scratches: Matt Kassian, Peter Regin, Jim O’Brien 

Injured player: Jason Spezza (back, out indefinitely) 

Defensive pairings: Marc Methot-Erik Karlsson 

Sergei Gonchar-Patrick Wiercioch 

Jared Cowen-Chris Phillips 

Healthy scratches: Andre Benoit, Eric Gryba, Mike Lundin 

Goaltending: Craig Anderson Robin Lehner 

Calendar of the series: 

1 OTT @ MTL May 2, 7pm et/4pm pt 

2 OTT @ MTL May 3, 7pm et/4pm pt 

3 MTL @ OTT May 5, 7pm et/4pm pt 

4 MTL @ OTT May 7, 7pm et/4pm pt 

*5 OTT @ MTL May 9, 7pm et/4pm pt 

*6 MTL @ OTT May 11, 7pm et/4pm pt 

*7 OTT @ MTL May 12, 7pm et/4pm pt

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