Game 20 Preview and Open Thread: Montreal Canadiens @ Ottawa Senators
Ottawa kicks off a five game set at home against the Montreal Canadiens.
After a five game road trip that saw the Senators tally two wins and three losses in Winnipeg and Toronto, Ottawa returns home for a five game home stand against Montreal and Calgary.
Tonight, the Senators face off against their rivals from Quebec for the first time since they split a home and home series with the Habs at the beginning of February. The good news for the Senators is that, as of late, the team is playing in closer games than they were through January. The Sens have won three of their last nine, and have lost by two or less in four of their six losses in that time. I know, the bar is low. But this is good to see.
The Senators held a morning skate today ahead of the 7pm puck drop and here’s how the lines shook out:
Paul - White - Dadonov
Stützle - Stepan - Batherson
Peca - Tierney - Watson
Chabot - Zaitsev
Reilly - Zub
Brannstrom - Gudbranson
Murray
Daccord
Game 20 Player Stats
| Game 20 | Ottawa | Senators | Montreal | Canadiens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Player | # | Player | # |
| Goals | Evgenii Dadonov | 6 | Tyler Toffoli | 11 |
| Assists | Josh Norris | 7 | Jonathan Drouin | 10 |
| Points | Brady Tkachuk | 11 | Tyler Toffoli | 16 |
| Shots | Brady Tkachuk | 77 | Brendan Gallagher | 55 |
| Time on Ice/GP | Thomas Chabot | 25:29 | Shea Weber | 23:28 |
2021 Game 20 Team Stats
| Game 20 | Ottawa | Senators | Montreal | Canadiens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | # | Rank | # | Rank |
| Goals/GP | 2.32 | 28th | 3.44 | 6th |
| Goals Against/GP | 4.11 | 31st | 2.69 | 13th |
| Shots/GP | 31.9 | 4th | 34.1 | 1st |
| Shots Against/GP | 31.1 | 22nd | 28.3 | 8th |
| Powerplay % | 8.7 | 28th | 18.4 | 16th |
| Penalty Kill % | 74.6 | 26th | 87.5 | 6th |
| Corsi % (5v5 SVA) | 51.31 | 12th | 54.77 | 3rd |
| xGF % (5v5 SVA) | 48.95 | 20th | 56.71 | 1st |
Game Notes:
- The fourth line left winger position has yet to be confirmed. Matthew Peca skated in that spot during morning skate but he also stayed out following the skate with the players who look to be scratch. Look for Michael Haley to hop into the lineup if Peca sits.
- Last game, we were reminded just how much Thomas Chabot means to this blueline. Despite not skating during yesterday’s practice, Chabot was on the ice this morning and listed as Zaitsev’s partner by the TSN 1200 account - all great signs that he’ll play tonight. He’s still listed as a game time decision but it would be great to have him back in the lineup against Montreal’s strong forward group.
- Josh Norris and Tim Stützle are one and two points, respectively, from tying for first in the rookie scoring race. With both players seeing more and more ice time, we’ll keep an eye on them tonight as they try to catch Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov.
- DJ Smith confirmed this morning that Matt Murray will be given the start - facing off against Jake Allen. Murray has an 0.878 SV% on the season but has posted a save percentage of 0.929 or better in five of his last seven appearances in the net, including a half game against Edmonton where he stopped all nine shots in relief of Marcus Högberg.
- The Canadiens have a record of 9-5-2 but are 5-5-0 in their last ten games. While they came out of the gate flying, they’ve lost four of their last six contests, including a 3-2 loss to Ottawa./