WHAT’S PLANNED AT THE BELL CENTER
FANatic Saturdays are back at the Bell Centre! Guest Monster Energy DJ Fafa Khan will be live on Twitch during the warm-up, so be online from 6:20 p.m. to get in the mood and for a chance to win a prize. Fans can also enjoy a ton of pre-game activities starting at 5:00 p.m. ET at the M2 Marché MTL Loto-Québec as well as other entertainment during the game, including something new at intermission. Keen-eyed fans who stay in their seats during the break will have a chance to win tickets to an upcoming game. Have your cell phone ready; this is the only clue we will share for now…
IT HURTS HIM
The Canadiens and Senators both won their respective opening games. Montreal had a 1-0 advantage over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, while Tim Stützle led Ottawa to a 3-1 win over the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, on Thursday at the Canadian Center Shoot.
The Habs suffered in their second outing, losing 6 to 4 to the Boston Bruins on Thursday at TD Garden. In their loss, Brendan Gallagher scored a double, Cole Caufield scored in a second consecutive game and Josh Anderson threaded the needle for the first time of the campaign. On the blue line, Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle each had two assists, while Oliver Kapanen was awarded a point in his first NHL game.
Ottawa has been creating turmoil in Montreal for some time, having won the last nine duels – a streak that head coach Martin St-Louis and his team will be keen to stop on Saturday. The Canadiens haven’t managed to get the upper hand against the Senators since March 19, 2022. It’s about time!
IN NUMBERS: TRICOLOR-SENS
Caufield is having a good season, scoring in the team’s first two outings for the second year in a row. No Habs player has found the back of the net in the first three games of a campaign since Tomáš Plekanec in 2014-2015. Caufield proved to be a constant threat against the Senators, scoring seven times in 10 games against the Ontario club.
For the visitors, Stützle has two of the three goals scored by the Senators so far. The German forward has collected 10 points in his last 10 duels with Montreal. Even more effective, captain Brady Tkachuk has collected 14 points in his last 10 games against the Canadiens. Slowing down this dynamic duo could well be the key for the Habs to win on Saturday.
Here are the comparisons between Ottawa and Montreal this season:
