GAME DAY | Canadiens – Senators: Preview, Prediction, Lines, Goalies, TV

By
Sam Gerber
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Game Preview by Sam Gerber
Last game : MTL 3  STL 2  

Max Domi scored in the opening minute of the game to set the tone for the Habs. The Habs played well but their penalty-kill suffered once again. Mike Reilly made a risky move at the blue-line to get by Brayden Schenn but provided the Canadiens with a power-play goal. The Blues took over in the third and out shot the Habs by almost double. With less than 10 seconds left in the game Colton Parayko fanned on a pass that hopped off Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher into the back of the Blues net. It was the type of bounce that the Habs never got last season. Luck or not, Montreal has started the season 4-1-1.

For a complete game recap: Just in Time

Players to watch

  • Joel Armia
    Armia is a perfect example of not judging a player solely by the stats sheet. Armia has been playing well and should start to produce soon. Unleashing his heavy shot more often could help. 
  • Nicolas Deslauriers
    Deslauriers will find himself back in the line-up after recovering from a facial fracture. He brings a physical element to the Habs, is a high energy player who showed a bit of scoring touch last season prior to signing his contract.
  • Carey Price
    Price is poised to set another record this season and could tie Patrick Roy for second in all-time wins for a goaltender in franchise history. Price has had an excellent start to the season.

Keys to Victory

  • Be better on special teams
    Special teams play, particularly the penalty-kill continues to be the Achilles heel for Montreal. If not for some last minute magic, special teams would have been blamed for a loss against St. Louis.  Possession is key from the start of the power-play.
  • Be physical
    The two teams playing tonight have had unexpected success so far. They have done so by competing hard. The Habs need to set the tone by ramping up their physical play in this game.
  • Control the gap
    The Senators take advantage of teams that sit back and surprise teams by blowing by defensemen who try to stand up at the blueline. The Canadiens should mind the gap to keep the Sens in check.  
Matchup by All Habs staff
Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON | October 20, 7:00 PM ET | TV: SN360, CITY, TVAS

2018-19 statistics
SENATORS CANADIENS
7 (19th) Points (rank) 9 (8th)
3-2-1 Record 4-1-1
2-1-1 Home/Away 1-0-1
3-2-1 Last 10 4-1-1
4.00 GF/G 3.33
3.67 GA/G 2.50
27.8 PP% 15.4
78.3 PK% 72.2
42.41  CF%  54.23
eSAT Analytics by Mathieu Chagnon
 
Projected forward lines, defense pairings and goaltenders
Forwards
Boedker – Duchene – Ryan
Dzingel – Tierney – Stone
Paajarvi – Smith – Pyatt
White – Carey		 Tatar – Danault – Gallagher
Drouin – Domi – Lehkonen
Byron – Kotkaniemi – Armia
Deslauriers – Shaw – Peca
Defensemen
Chabot – DeMelo
Borowiecki – Wideman
Lajoie – Jaros
Harpur		 Alzner – Petry
Reilly – Juulsen
 Ouellet – Benn
Out of the lineup
Scratched: Paul
Injured: Pageau, McCormick, Formenton, Ceci, Tkachuk
 Scratched: Mete (hand), Scherbak, Peca
Injured: Weber, Schlemko, Plekanec
Goalies
Craig Anderson Carey Price
Record: 3-1-1
GAA: – 3.02
Sv%: – .925
SO: 0
Alternate: Mike Condon		 Record: 2-1-1
GAA: – 2.24
Sv%: – .912
SO: 0
Alternate: Antti Niemi
 What to Expect by Sam Gerber
With both teams off to unexpected starts, they won’t be taking each other lightly. The Senators have a young defense who can skate. The Habs can make life difficult for them. Montreal can benefit from a strong start with plenty of their fans in the road building.   
Highlights from the NHL
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