The Montreal Canadiens host a rare Friday night regular season game tonight as they take on the Ottawa Senators. The last time that happened was December of 2004, the night of the teams centennial. Surely, the Canadiens will be looking for a similar result.
If the Montreal Canadiens would play every team the way they play the Senators, things would likely be a lot different for them at this point in the season. Instead of being relegated to the role of spoiler, the Habs would surely have been in the playoff mix.
The Habs have won five of six against the Senators this season, with their two losses coming by the narrowest of margins. For whatever reason, be it the proximity between the two cities or just a natural rivalry between the two clubs, the Canadiens always come to play with emotion against the Sens. Tonight marks the sixth and final game between the two teams.
The Canadiens have been struggling as of late. They've lost three in a row. Their last win was nine days ago when Montreal hosted Ottawa. The Senators are also struggling losing four of their last five. Despite that, Ottawa is only a few points away from clinching a playoff spot. They hold a four point lead on ninth place Buffalo.
Missing from the morning skate were forwards Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec. They are, however, expected to be in the lineup tonight.
For Ottawa, Jason Spezza will be back in the lineup after missing their last game with the fIu. In goal, Craig Anderson returns for Ottawa, while Carey Price will start for Montreal.
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