by Chuck Sommers
Tuesday, Apr 05, 2022
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, QE
Where to watch: RDS, RDS, TSN2, TSN5
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Senators -115, Canadiens -105
BetMGM: Senators -120, Canadiens +100
Caesars: Senators -115, Canadiens -105
Season record
Senators: 25-37-6
Canadiens: 19-39-11
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Senators - Canadiens preview and analysis
The Fighting Martin St. Louis’ will not go quietly into the night. Even if it means they won’t be competing for a playoff spot this year or next any time soon, they have shown some serious resiliency since St. Louis became the coach and they’ve been a much better team since doing so.
But as mentioned, this has already been a lost year for the Montreal Canadiens and they’ve had to do it without Carey Price for the majority of the year and now they’re trying to be in position for a top-5 pick that could help their franchise down the road.
Montreal, fresh off a very impressive 5-4 win in a shootout in a Stanley Cup Final rematch with the Tampa Bay Lightning, will host the Ottawa Senators coming off two straight 5-2 wins over the Detroit Red Wings in a home-and-home.
The Habs trailed 2-0 after the first period, looking eerily similar to the Final that Tampa Bay won in five games. But Montreal tied it with three goals in the second period but eventually trailed going into the third. Jesse Ylonen tied it, and Nick Suzuki scored the winner in the shootout for a victory for St. Louis against the team he won the Stanley Cup with in 2004.
“We talk about being process driven, not so much result driven, and I think the result will just come along,” St. Louis said. “Just focus on the process, and I think we've done a good job of that tonight.”
The Habs shouldn’t be winning considering they’re losing great odds to nab Shane Wright with the No. 1 overall pick, but for Montreal fans, they have to be encouraged with the fact they continue to fight under the interim head coach and continue to make waves down the road.
But it had to be good for St. Louis, who has emerged as a coach from out of nowhere, rather than be in a role with the Tampa front office at some point, to now coaching an NHL team with the likely full-time job coming.
“I grew up here so to speak as a young adult,” St. Louis said before the game. “It’s always going to be special for me to be in Tampa, whether I’m a coach or just somebody visiting because it’s a big part of my life.”
“His first game back in Tampa you want to get him a big win,” Habs defenseman Joel Edmundson said. “He didn't want to make it about him, but we did."
Montreal lost three straight before the win against the champs, but is in good position to get a second straight win against an Ottawa squad that definitely mopped the floor with Detroit this past week. Not only did they win both games against the Red Wings, giving them 13 losses in 15 games, but beat them by the same score.
In the last game at home, Josh Norris recorded his first career hat trick to hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career.
“I try to play my best every night and let the results take care of themselves,” Norris said. ”It’s a long year and a lot of ups and downs, so I try not to get too far ahead of myself and just be in the moment and do the best that I can. You definitely don’t get to 30 without some great teammates and linemates.”
When there are young teams throwing this kind of talent around, between Norris and Suzuki, it’s bound to be a fun time for Canadian hockey. Sometimes you have to enjoy the bad teams in Canada because the good ones are talked about way too much.
Prediction
I think the Habs can ride the momentum of that Tampa victory back home for this one. It won’t mean much on the record ledger, but for Montreal to hit 20 wins this season given everything that’s happened would be a miracle. And if Carey Price does eventually return, then there will be something to celebrate yet for Montreal. Canadiens with 4-2
Betting trends
The Senators are 28-60 off an over in the last three seasons.
The Senators are 0-6 this season when revenging a road loss by 3 goals or more.
The Canadiens are 8-13 against division opponents this season.
Projected lines
Senators:
Brady Tkachuk -- Josh Norris -- Drake Batherson
Alex Formenton -- Tim Stutzle -- Connor Brown
Mathieu Joseph -- Colin White -- Tyler Ennis
Adam Gaudette -- Dylan Gambrell -- Austin Watson
Erik Brannstrom -- Artem Zub
Michael Del Zotto -- Travis Hamonic
Nick Holden -- Nikita Zaitsev
Anton Forsberg
Brady Tkachuk -- Josh Norris -- Drake Batherson
Alex Formenton -- Tim Stutzle -- Connor Brown
Mathieu Joseph -- Colin White -- Tyler Ennis
Adam Gaudette -- Dylan Gambrell -- Austin Watson
Erik Brannstrom -- Artem Zub
Michael Del Zotto -- Travis Hamonic
Nick Holden -- Nikita Zaitsev
Anton Forsberg
Canadiens:
Rem Pitlick -- Nick Suzuki -- Cole Caufield
Mike Hoffman -- Jake Evans -- Josh Anderson
Paul Byron -- Christian Dvorak -- Joel Armia
Tyler Pitlick -- Ryan Poehling -- Jesse Ylonen
Alexander Romanov -- David Savard
Joel Edmundson -- Justin Barron
Jordan Harris -- Corey Schueneman
Jake Allen
Rem Pitlick -- Nick Suzuki -- Cole Caufield
Mike Hoffman -- Jake Evans -- Josh Anderson
Paul Byron -- Christian Dvorak -- Joel Armia
Tyler Pitlick -- Ryan Poehling -- Jesse Ylonen
Alexander Romanov -- David Savard
Joel Edmundson -- Justin Barron
Jordan Harris -- Corey Schueneman
Jake Allen
Statistical leaders
Senators:
Points: Brady Tkachuk -- 49
Goals: Josh Norris -- 30
Assists: Tim Stutzle -- 28
Goalie: Anton Forsberg -- 16-14-3, 2.71 GAA, .919 SV%
Canadiens:
Points: Nick Suzuki -- 51
Goals: Nick Suzuki -- 18
Assists: Nick Suzuki -- 33
Goalie: Jake Allen -- 8-19-4, 3.21 GAA, .907 SV%
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
