The weather may be nasty in the nation’s capital, but the mood on the ice figures to be just as foul on Wednesday night when the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens renew hostilities at Canadian Tire Centre with a crucial two points on the line.
Weathering the Weather
After a day that was expected to be filled with freezing rain with significant ice buildup in Ottawa, it's possible it may affect Wednesday's game being played at all, but as of mid-afternoon, it looks like business as usual.
Due to weather conditions, they will be opening the doors at 4 p.m. to fans with tickets.
The State of Things
With a win, the Senators would move to within three points of Boston for the final wild-card spot and they'd also move five points behind the Canadiens, who currently occupy third place in the Atlantic Division.
By contrast, a Montreal victory would not only strengthen the Canadiens’ playoff chances, but it would also open up a nine-point advantage on the Sens, which would all but eliminate Ottawa’s hopes of catching them.
When the Senators began their just-completed five-game road trip, they were seven points out of a playoff spot. They went 4-0-1, but that impressive run only moved them two points closer to Boston. The Bruins, Canadiens and Blue Jackets all won Tuesday night. Detroit did not, so they stay just six points up on Ottawa. The Sens need one of the Eastern playoff teams to falter. Perhaps it will be the Red Wings.
Season Series
Montreal leads Ottawa in the season series, winning two of the three matchups, though that doesn’t mean much in Gary Bettman’s three-point world. The Canadiens won both of their games in overtime, while Ottawa’s lone victory came in regulation. As a result, the two teams have each collected four points from their first three meetings.
Probable Line Combos: Senators
Batherson – Stützle – Giroux
Tkachuk – Cozens – Greig
Cousins – Pinto – Amadio
Foegele – Eller – Zetterlund
MacDermid – Halliday
Chabot – Zub
Kleven – Spence
Matinpalo – Jensen
Ullmark
Reimer
Gardien de but
In a surprising twist, in part two of a back to back, the Canadiens recalled goaltender Jacob Fowler from AHL Laval Rocket and named him the starter for Wednesday. Before his recall, it was assumed that Sam Montembeault would start, but he has struggled of late.
After James Reimer pitched a shutout in Vancouver on Monday night, Linus Ullmark will start for the Senators. While he still runs hot and cold, Ullmark hasn’t lost in regulation (5-0-2) since December 27. That was the night he was pulled from a game in Toronto and ultimately stepped away from the team for about a month to focus on his mental health.
We're Going Streaking
Tim Stützle enters the night riding a 13-game point streak. Most players will never have a streak that long. Stützle had one just back in January. It’s the fourth-longest streak in Senators history, a mark he also shares with Drake Batherson and Marian Hossa. With a point tonight, he would reach 14 games, matching the 14-gamer he produced last season.
No MacDermid Versus Habs
It’s interesting to see Kurtis MacDermid back in healthy-scratch mode. He was acquired in October shortly after the Canadiens beat Ottawa 5-0 in a preseason game in which the Senators were literally beaten up as badly as they were on the scoreboard.
Last Thursday, on the eve of the NHL trade deadline, in a crucial game against Calgary, MacDermid suddenly made his first start of 2026. That led to speculation that Stephen Halliday was sitting out because he might be part of a trade the team was working on. Halliday didn’t go anywhere, as it turned out, and the Senators said they simply wanted MacDermid in the lineup as a deterrent because Calgary is a tough team.
Now, facing an even more important game against their heated rival, the same brawl-ready Canadiens who prompted MacDermid’s acquisition in the first place, the big guy is going to sit.
Arber Xhekaj doesn’t mind that. With Brady Tkachuk unable to fight because of his thumb brace, only the referees can hold Xhekaj accountable.
If MacDermid isn’t suited for a game like this, then why was he acquired? And why did he suddenly show up in the lineup against Calgary?
It strongly suggests Halliday may indeed have been part of trade discussions that ultimately fell through. In fairness, there’s little upside to the Senators publicly acknowledging that. A young player doesn’t need to hear that his team considered moving him, and broadcasting that you’re willing to part with someone rarely helps the value of the asset.
The Canadiens, meanwhile, are punching well above the weight class that most of the league assigned them before the season began. Like the Senators, they’re a fast, skilled team that can roll four lines and generally plays the right way. Montreal has 10 players in double digits in goals, while the Senators have 11.
Former Kings Anchor Fourth Lines
Both teams have some expensive fourth lines. Except for Lars Eller, everyone makes north of $3.5 million. The Sens round out their bottom line with newcomer Warren Foegele ($3.5 million) and Fabian Zetterlund ($4.27 million), which is a little pricey for a fourth line. But it's nothing compared to Montreal’s, with Josh Anderson ($5.5 million), Phillip Danault ($5.5 million) and Brendan Gallagher ($6.5 million).
Last season, Danault and Foegele finished fifth and sixth in scoring for the Los Angeles Kings, both topping 40 points. This year, both have really struggled offensively, and it was hoped that their shift to the East might help. Danault has been somewhat better, with 11 points in 27 games, a 33-point pace.
After scoring in his debut in Seattle, Foegele will play his third game as a Senator and make his home debut in Ottawa on Wednesday night.
With a virus making its way through the Canadiens' locker room, the Habs might have some last minute changes before game time. Cole Caufield, for one, is a game time decision.
Probable Line Combos: Canadiens
Caufield – Suzuki – Slafkovsky
Newhook – Kapanen – Demidov
Bolduc – Evans – Dach
Anderson – Danault – Gallagher
Guhle – Hutson
Matheson – Dobson
Xhekaj – Carrier
Fowler
Dobes
Note the 7:30 pm start time (Sportsnet, RDS).
Steve Warne
The Hockey News
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