Excitement Builds as the Canadiens Face the Senators Tonight!

Game 3: Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators **Start Time:** 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT **Where to Watch:** In Canada, catch the action on CITY-TV, Sportsnet East (English), and TVA Sports (French). For streaming, tune in to ESPN+ and Sportsnet+.

After a tough opening to the season, the Montreal Canadiens return home for a critical three-game homestand. Many fans were wary when the season schedule launched. Facing the Toronto Maple Leafs at home followed by a challenging matchup against the Boston Bruins is no easy feat! Fans were hopeful for at least a couple of points from these tough opening games, but the Canadiens struggled against two of the league's top teams due to a pre-season that left many players unprepared.

As they gear up for tonight's game, there's a mix of optimism and concern surrounding the team. On a positive note, Samuel Montembeault has shown promise in net, Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle have stepped up as key players, and veterans Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson are starting to find the back of the net. However, there are troubling signs as well—analytics indicate the Canadiens have struggled significantly, especially with a mismatched first line and the performance of Cayden Primeau, who faced criticism after the recent loss to the Bruins.

As if that wasn't enough to digest, Mike Matheson has been logging an impressive 26 minutes a game but is struggling to make an impact amidst a young defensive lineup. Meanwhile, rookie Arber Xhekaj showcases the type of confidence the team craves despite being the team's worst plus-minus player at minus-three. The power play has shown slight improvement, finding the net once in each game after a pre-season drought, but continues to look disorganized—especially in Hutson's absence.

The Canadiens are in desperate need of a win as they look ahead. They are currently behind in the standings compared to the Senators, who are coming off a strong start this season. Despite being in year eight of a supposed four-year rebuild, the Senators know that getting off to a bad start can be detrimental—having previous seasons open poorly with records of 8-9-0 and 4-14-1 during October and November.

Ottawa General Manager Steve Staios has concentrated on developing core players like Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle while cautiously picking up talented depth pieces in free agency instead of making risky trades. His strategy led to a significant coaching change as well, replacing D.J. Smith with Travis Green, which they hope revitalizes the team.

The Senators have seemingly improved, showcased by their impressive 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers in Ullmark’s debut—where he and his team fought through a strong push from the defending Stanley Cup champions. With Ullmark potentially returning as the starting goalie against the Canadiens, the matchup promises to be intense.

For Montreal, the pressure is mounting. They failed to defeat the Senators in any of their three matchups last season, earning just a single point and suffering a considerable goal deficit. If the Canadiens aim to elevate their position in the Atlantic Division, they must claim victory in this crucial game. Will they turn the tide against their rivals? Tune in tonight to find out!