Game Preview: Senators vs Canadiens (Game 6)

By Santino Fasulo, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

MONTREAL, QC – Fresh off a 4-3 in Montreal last night, the Canadiens will take their four game winning streak into the nation’s capital. They look in continue their winning ways against a Senators team that is 4-1-1 on the season.

The Canadiens came away with the win last night after giving up a 2 – 0 lead in the second period. Once again it was their power-play that bailed them out. They also got strong performances from the rookie duo of Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher. The “Gally’s” combined for four points and were a threat on every shift. The Habs will surely need some more scoring tonight against and Ottawa team that is only giving up 1.83 goals per game.

The Senators are coming off a come from behind win against the Capitals last night. They will look to keep the momentum going at home against the Habs. They will be missing Jason Spezza once again for this contest as he is nursing a minor injury. This will open up the door for Kyle Turris to earn more minutes. The former third overall pick has not disappointed this year so far with six points six games. The Sens will look to get their offense going early against backup goalie Peter Budaj.

Habs keys for the game :

1. Power Play : The No. 1 key all season long has been the Canadiens power-play. If the Habs get their opportunities, they will need to convert a couple against a stingy Ottawa team.
2. Goaltending : Peter Budaj gets his first start against the Sens. It will be important for the Canadiens to support him and play good team defense in front of him.
3. The Kids : The line of Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher & Brandon Prust has been great for the Habs since it was put together. They will need this line to continue creating offense as it creates a mis match for the opposing teams.

Senators keys for the game :

1. Team Discipline : The Sens will look to remain disciplined all night. With the 6th best ranked power- play, the Canadiens have been lethal on the man advantage, therefore the Sens will want to limit their opportunities.
2. Goaltending : Craig Anderson gets his sixth start of the season for the Sens. He is currently leading the NHL in both goals against average and save percentage. The Senators will need him to continue his dominance against a Habs team that is ranked 7th overall in Goals For.
3. Put the puck on net : With this being Peter Budaj’s first game of the season, the Sens will want to set the tone early and try to get as many pucks in Budaj’s direction as possible.

Head to Head Record (last 6 games)

The Canadiens currently hold an edge in the head to head matchup vs the Senators. The Habs are 4-2 in their last six contests against the Senators.

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Key Injuries

Senators :

• Jason Spezza – Upper Body – day to day

Habs :

• Petteri Nokelainen – Shoulder – IR
• Max Pacioretty – Appendectomy – IR

Lineups

Watch for GameDay for Senators and Habs lineups.

Fantasy Analysis

From a fantasy perspective, here are some players from each side that could help you in this matchup.

• Alex Galchenyuk (Montreal Canadiens): Continues to impress and now leads all Habs forwards with 5 pts in 5 gp.
• Andrei Markov (Montreal Canadiens): 2 more points last night. Leads all NHL defensemen with 7 Power Play points.
• Raphael Diaz (Montreal Canadiens): His 7 points tie him with Markov for 2nd in the NHL for points by a d-man.
  
• Milan Michalek (Ottawa Senators): Has a point in every Senators game this season. Will look to keep streak alive.
• Craig Anderson (Ottawa Senators): His 0.98GAA and .967 Save % are both #1 in the NHL.

Writer’s Prediction

The Montreal Canadiens win 4-2