Canadiens at Senators
Rebuffed in their previous attempt to wrest control of the top spot in the Atlantic Division, the Ottawa Senators can take matters into their own hands when they host the first-place Montreal Canadiens on Saturday in the first leg of a home-and-home. Ottawa sits one point behind division-leading Montreal with one game in hand.
The Senators had ripped off six consecutive victories before dropping a pair of 2-1 decisions (one in overtime) while the Canadiens had won six straight of their own before losing two of their past three games. Captain Erik Karlsson lifted Ottawa to a pair of early-season victories over Montreal, scoring the decisive goal in a 4-3 shootout on Oct. 15 and the tiebreaking tally in a 4-3 win on Nov. 22. "They're a top team in the league, a team we want to be better than," Karlsson said. The Canadiens will kick off a six-game homestand after wrapping up the weekend set against the Senators, but Montreal has produced only 10 goals while going 2-5-1 in its last eight at Bell Centre.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TVAS, Sportsnet
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (39-23-8): Paul Byron has scored five goals in the last six games and needs one more to reach 20 for the first time in his career, but he is more concerned about a spate of slow starts. "Getting that first goal is just taking us too long," Byron said. "We can't wait until the end of the third period to get going." Carey Price will get the nod in net Saturday, but coach Claude Julien did not rule out bringing him back Sunday even though the former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner has started only once on consecutive nights.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (39-23-7): No. 1 netminder Craig Anderson, who missed the past two games due to injury, will be available in at least a backup role after Chris Driedger was demoted to Binghamton on Friday. Mike Condon, who started 51 games for Montreal after Price was injured last season, could be facing his former team for the first time. "They treated me really well and gave me a chance," said Condon, who has five shutouts this season. "It's about respect, but it's a big game and two points."
OVERTIME
1. Ottawa will host Montreal on Dec. 16 in the NHL100 Classic, an outdoor game that will commemorate the NHL's opening night in 1917.
2. Karlsson has eight goals and 28 points in 33 games against Montreal.
3. The Canadiens are 0-for-13 on the power play in six games this month.