Canadiens 3, Senators 1
OTTAWA -- In a rematch of last spring's first round playoff meeting, the Montreal Canadiens spoiled the Ottawa Senators home opener Sunday night in front of 19,177 fans at Canadian Tire Centre.
With both teams resting their No. 1 goalies, the Canadiens scored a 3-1 victory to improve their record to 3-0-0. The Senators fell to 2-1-0.
Making his NHL debut, rookie Mike Condon stopped 20 shots for the win. Playing his first game as a pro, Senators goalie Matt O'Connor made 31 saves.
Center Tomas Plekanec led the Canadiens with two goals, while center Torrey Mitchell had the other. Replying for the Senators was center Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
The Canadiens outshot by a 15-6 margin in the tone-setting first period which also saw them claim a 2-0 lead.
Plekanec beat O'Connor with a weak one on the Canadiens' ninth shot of the game. Standing in the right-wing corner behind the Senators goal line, Plekanec sent the puck toward the front of the net, where it bounced off O'Connor.
Plekanec picked up his second of the night and third of the season on a breakaway 1:26 before the intermission. With Senators defensemen Erik Karlsson in hot pursuit, Plekanec managed to get enough on his shot to put it through O'Connor's pads.
It was the 14th shot on goal for the visitors.
After an easy first period, Condon was sharp on early tests in the second. He stayed with Pageau, who was left alone in front for a chance in the second minute, then moments later threw his shoulder in front of a hard shot by winger Mike Hoffman.
Pageau finally put Ottawa on the board with a short-handed goal off a 2-on-1, ripping a shot that trickled through Condon's pads and over the line.
Mitchell notched his first of the season 5:41 into the third, deflecting a screened point shot by defenseman P.K. Subban that O'Connor never saw.
Condon made two big stops off Karlsson in the final minute with O'Connor on the bench for an extra attacker to preserve the victory.
NOTES: Ottawa G Matt O'Connor was tabbed to spend the season with the Senators AHL affiliate, but broke camp with the NHL team when G Andrew Hammond suffered a groin injury. ... Canadiens G Mike Condon was one of the busier goalies in the AHL last season, playing 48 games for the Hamilton Bulldogs. The undrafted, 25-year-old had an impressive .921 save percentage to go along with his 23-19-6 record. ... The Senators had no other line-up changes, which meant LW Shane Prince and D Chris Wideman were healthy scratches for the third straight game. ... Canadiens coach Michel Therrien decided to stick with a lineup that won its first two games, which meant C Paul Byron, an Ottawa native, did not get the chance to play in his hometown. ... The Canadiens wrap up their season-starting four-game road trip when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. ... The Senators next game is Wednesday, when they are on the road to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets.