Once upon a time, the Montreal Canadiens’ biggest rivals were the Toronto Maple Leafs, then it was the Boston Bruins, but nowadays, that title belongs to the Ottawa Senators. Whether Habs fans like it or not, Ottawa’s rebuilding is going well, and both teams are close geographically, in the standings, and on the reconstruction ladder.
Last season, the Canadiens won three of the four duels between the two teams and outscored Ottawa 17-11, but Montreal’s sole loss against their neighbors came in April, when both teams were vying for a playoff spot and the stakes were higher.
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The first duel of the season came early on, on October 12; it was the Habs' third game of the season and one in which sniper Cole Caufield shone brightly, scoring two goals at even strength, including the game-winner. They were his third and fourth games of the season as he started the year on a torrid pace that he couldn’t keep all the way through. That night wasn’t Linus Ullmark’s best at the office; he gave up four goals on just 26 shots.
The two teams didn’t cross paths again until February 22, the Canadiens’ first game after the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Once again, Montreal came out on top, and this time, it was thanks to Juraj Slafkovsky’s inspired play. In 15:25 of play, the big Slovak landed eight hits, got a fighting major, and scored a goal. It was another challenging game for Ullmark; however, he gave up five goals in a little over 32 minutes of play. Once Anton Forsberg got the net, nothing got past him.
The third game on March 18 was won by the veterans’ line of Josh Anderson, Christian Dvorak, and Brendan Gallagher, who combined for nine points in the 6-3 win. Once more, Ullmark couldn’t stop the Canadiens and gave them four goals on 31 shots, for a .871 save percentage. That night, when he scored an empty net goal, Gallagher pointed to the heavens when celebrating, dedicating the lamplighter to his mother Della, who had recently passed.
The final game took place on April 11th, and this time, Ullmark stood tall, stopping all but two of the 22 shots he received. Shane Pinto led the charge with a pair of goals as the Senators skated away with a 5-2 win.
The Senators ended the season with 97 points. They qualified for the postseason ahead of the Canadiens, taking fourth place in the Atlantic Division, just behind the soon-to-be repeat Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers. Montreal finished the year with 91 points and in fifth place in the Division.
Ottawa did make some moves this offseason, signing a contract extension with Claude Giroux at a bargain price, signing trade deadline acquisition Fabian Zetterlund to a three-year contract, and adding a few players on the free-agent market. They brought on former Hab Lars Eller, who has plenty of experience and is a Stanley Cup champion, underperforming forward Arthur Kaliyev, and defenseman Jordan Spence. On the other hand, Adam Gaudette, Cole Reinhardt, Travis Hamonic, and Dennis Gilbert all left the organization.
The acquisition of Dylan Cozens before the trade deadline was an astute move from Steve Staios and one that should pay off, making the Senators a much more complete team with some depth down the middle, something the Canadiens are still desperately trying to find.
Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle, and Jake Sanderson, who led the Senators in points against the Canadiens, will all be back and ready to contribute to Ottawa’s quest for another playoff berth. Both teams might want to keep an eye on their rearview mirror, however, since the Columbus Blue Jackets only just missed out on the playoffs last season, being eliminated by Montreal’s win in its previous game, and the New York Rangers will be looking to rebound from a surprising season, to say the least.
Whatever happens in the win or lose columns, however, you can count on Montreal and Ottawa to provide some great on-ice entertainment. The two outfits hate one another, and it shows in every aspect of the game. Penalties are no rare occurrence when they face off, and that’s where Montreal may just get the upper hand. The acquisition of Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc should help Martin St-Louis ice two competitive power play units, which could make a massive difference for the Habs.
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
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