Sens Face Canadiens in Atlantic Division Clash Tonight

OTTAWA, Ontario — The Ottawa Senators host the Montreal Canadiens tonight at the Bell Centre at 7 p.m. ET, looking to make a push in the Atlantic Division standings.

Both teams have experienced fluctuations in their seasons, with the Senators aiming for a rebound after adding new players, while the Canadiens seek to maintain their recent success.

The Senators recently traded for forwards Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund, increasing their offensive options as they attempt to climb in the standings. Ottawa has significantly boosted its even-strength offense, a key area of focus after struggling in earlier games against Montreal this season.

Brady Tkachuk, who participated in an optional morning skate after missing practice earlier in the week, is expected to lead the Senators against a Canadiens team that has defeated them in both encounters this season, outscoring them 9-3 overall.

“We’re excited to take on a strong opponent and prove how much we’ve improved,” Tkachuk said. “We know what we need to do to be competitive.”

Montreal enters the matchup with momentum, as they hold just one regulation loss in their last ten games. They are aiming for their eighth win since the 4 Nations, propelled by strong offensive performances, including a streak of 11 goals in the last three games.

“We’ve been working on our depth scoring, and it’s showing results,” said Canadiens coach Kent Hughes. “We feel confident going into tonight’s game.”

Projected lineups feature Ottawa’s top line with Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, and Claude Giroux, while Montreal counters with forwards Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovský, who have been dynamic this season.

Notable absences include Senators’ Nick Jensen, sidelined with a lower-body injury, as well as Canadiens’ Kaiden Guhle, who is missing his 17th consecutive game due to a lacerated quadriceps muscle.

The game’s broadcast can be viewed on TSN2 and RDS for English and French audiences, respectively.