Under normal circumstances, a game against a long-time rival would be an opportunity to have a little bit of fun.
We could mock a fan base that is known to turn on their team at the drop of a hat. We could talk about their long and proud history of employing a team of tiny little hockey players. We could point out at that all those Stanley Cup banners they love to remind everyone about were mostly won in an era where they only had to beat five teams. I’d post that toilet seat Habs logo. It would be a RIOT.
Unfortunately, these are not normal circumstances.
When the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens meet in a delightfully empty Bell Centre later tonight, it will be, and it pains me to say this, a true David and Goliath match-up.
The Montreal Canadiens are the class of the North Division. They boast the league’s best offence and their 7-1-2 record is tops in the entire National Hockey League. They have depth throughout the forward ranks, their blueline looks as good as any the league and their goaltending is always good. I think I’m gonna be sick.
The good news is with these suddenly heightened expectations, their eventual unravelling will be that much more entertaining.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators sit last in the division and come into tonight having lost nine games in a row. Some experts say they may never win again. Other experts, like yours truly, suggest they’ll win tonight.
DJ Smith will have his team on the ice for the game day skate around 11:30 so we’ll find out more about the lineup then. Erik Brannstrom was added to the taxi squad yesterday so there’s a chance he could draw in. Keep in mind that Braydon Coburn was placed on waivers yesterday. Assuming he clears, he could then be assigned to the taxi squad which would open up a spot for Brannstrom on the roster.
Looks like Brannstrom draws in on defence and Galchenyuk takes Paquette’s spot. Some other juggling among the forward combinations too. Here’s how they are lined up at the morning skate.
Tkachuk-Norris-Dadonov
Paul-White-Batherson
Stützle-Stepan-C. Brown
Galchenyuk-Tierney-Watson
Chabot-Zaitsev
Brannstrom-Gudbranson
Reilly-Zub
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:00 PM which means we don’t have to stay up until all hours of the night ranting and raving about our favourite hockey team.
The game is available on TSN5, RDS and on the radio at TSN 1200. If grainy internet streams are more your thing, those will be available through your SensChirp PREMIUM account.
Please exercise caution when viewing today’s HEAD2HEAD table.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 1-8-1 (3 pts) | 7-1-2 (16 pts) |
| Goals For | 2.40 (26th) | 4.40 (1st) |
| Goals Against | 4.80 (31st) | 2.60 (10th) |
| Power Play | 13.6% (24th) | 23.7% (13th) |
| Penalty Kill | 70.0% (27th) | 79.5% (15th) |
| Shots For | 31.3 (11th) | 34.4 (1st) |
| Shots Against | 30.9 (20th) | 29.1 (14th) |
| Leading Scorers | Tkachuk- 7 pts Norris- 6 pts Batherson- 5 pts Chabot- 5 pts Paul- 5 pts |
Petry- 13 pts Toffoli- 13 pts Suzuki- 11 pts Drouin- 9 pts Anderson- 8 pts |
| Starting Goalie | TBD | Carey Price 4-0-2 2.77 GAA, .903 sv% |
