Game Day: Montreal Canadiens @ Ottawa Senators - 7:00pm ET, Thurs. Nov. 7th, 2013

CANADIENS (8-7-1) vs. SENATORS (5-6-4)

TV: CBC, RDS

Last 10: Montreal 4-5-1; Ottawa 4-4-2


Sens snap a 5 game losing streak with EK extending his point streak to 5 games with an incredible 4 goals and 5 assists over that stretch.  The big boys continue to produce, MacArthur gets his second goal of the season which also happens to be the game winner and finally Lehner gets his first win and sports a 943 SV% and 2.38 GAA.  

The Sens rounding into form couldn't come at a better time with a real opportunity to go on a run and get themselves into the playoff picture.  Cutting down the shots against is a really good step in the right direction for sure.  Both the Sens and Habs should be up for this game as they renew their rivalry from last seasons playoffs.

OttawaSenators.Com - Sens Preview

According to TSN Ice Chips

Nov 7, 10:58 AM - Ottawa
Projected Lines vs. Canadiens

Forwards:
MacArthur - Turris - Ryan
Greening - Spezza - Zibanejad
Michalek - Smith - Neil
Kassian - Grant - Conacher

Defence:
Cowen - Karlsson
Borowiecki - Methot
Gryba - Phillips

Goaltending:
Lehner
Lawson

The improvement process will have to continue against a marginally tougher opponent tonight. Get in PK's kitchen and make him take some dumb penalties. Lehner will be a monster, again.

No reason Ottawa won't win tonight.

A think a storyline tonight will be Subban more focused on showing he's better than Karlsson than helping his team win. Thoughts?

I think with Lehner's play combined with better team defense and cutting down the shots against it all points to more wins from here on out.  I really like how Cowen has stepped up and embraced his role in the top 2 D pairing.  That's where he should be long term and I'm glad he's grabbed hold and isn't letting go.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I think with Lehner's play combined with better team defense and cutting down the shots against it all points to more wins from here on out.  I really like how Cowen has stepped up and embraced his role in the top 2 D pairing.  That's where he should be long term and I'm glad he's grabbed hold and isn't letting go.

I missed the game. Was Cowen good against Columbus? I thought he played well against Dallas.

He looked like he belonged in the top pairing and knew what his role was. Of course it helps when your parnter is EK and you have forwards like MacArthur, Turris and Ryan in front of you most of the night.

tim1_2 wrote:The improvement process will have to continue against a marginally tougher opponent tonight.  Get in PK's kitchen and make him take some dumb penalties.  Lehner will be a monster, again.

No reason Ottawa won't win tonight.

I think they wear the heritage jerseys tonight and they have a terrible record in those. Oh and also sens suck at home this season and have a habit of letting fans down when they think a win is in the bank. Wouldn't be too sure that sens will win tonight.

GO SENS!  

Sens win as long as they fight.

Columbus only managed 19 shots on goal against the Pens in the previous game. Then they play the Sens and get 33. So, while 33 is certainly better than 40+, it is more tham the average number of shots (30.7) for the Blue Jackets. The Sens are still giving up more shots than they should. Hopefully the recent trend (from 57 to 38 to 33) continues.

Lehner loves these kinds of games, you can just tell. He loves the pressure, he loves the drama. I trust him tonight and I like the way the Sens have responded recently. Perhaps this game is the game in the first half that can gel us as a team the most. Let's win it!

Yeah, hopefully the Habs have some left-over hatred from being embarassed in the playoffs, and things go totally off the rails tonight, complete with Lehner pummeling Price, ala Emery on Holtby. Extra-mega-bonus points if Karlsson drops the mitts with Subban and Stone-Cold-Stunners him into obliteration.

Storylines:

1. Did Montreal *really* put it all behind them or will they go after Gryba?  With no Prust, Moen with an orbital injury and Parros sporting a just-one-week-old mustache I don't know if the Habs have it in them to do much.  But I still expect a very dirty/chippy game.


2. Subban v. Karlsson.


3. Lots of tickets still left.  If we can't sell out against the Habs after last April, will we ever have a sell out this season?

4. Will the recent trend of reducing the shot count continue?  If it does, I believe so will the winning streak.

Have the Sens ever sold out a weekday regular season game that was not either the home opener or season opener?

tim1_2 wrote:Yeah, hopefully the Habs have some left-over hatred from being embarassed in the playoffs, and things go totally off the rails tonight, complete with Lehner pummeling Price, ala Emery on Holtby.  Extra-mega-bonus points if Karlsson drops the mitts with Subban and Stone-Cold-Stunners him into obliteration.

Moen has an orbital bone injury, Prust is another 2 weeks from returning to the lineup. They added Parros but the guy is no-longer the enforcer he used to be. Plus you put Kassian against Parros and then you still have Neil, Smith Gryba, Cowen and the Habs have an injured Moen.

I think the Habs would be in a very dangerous spot if they try intimidation. But that won't stop them from being chippy.

wprager wrote:Storylines:

You forgot the most important one:

Will Subban be more focused on showing he's better than Karlsson than helping his team win?

Montreal radio was reporting yesterday that this would be Moen's first game back as well as Desharnais' return to the lineup.