Senators, Canadiens have playoffs in sight ahead of latest tilt

It’s been eight years since the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens made the playoffs in the same season. That could change in 2025.

Seeking a seventh consecutive victory, the surging Senators try to avoid a third loss in as many tries this season to the Canadiens, who eye a fifth straight home win Tuesday night.

Ottawa (36-25-5, 77 points) currently owns the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Montreal (32-27-7, 71 points) entered play Monday just one point out of the final playoff spot in the East.

These two Canadian franchises last appeared in the same postseason in 2017, when Montreal won the Atlantic, but was upset by the New York Rangers in the first round. The Senators, in turn, reached the conference finals that year, where they lost to eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh in seven games.

That was also the last playoff appearance for Ottawa, which is in good position to end that drought thanks to a 7-0-1 record in March. That’s come after losing the final five games of February.

The Senators last won seven straight in March 2015.

“The past is what it is,” Ottawa coach Travis Green said. “You live in the present, think about tomorrow and learn from what happened today.

The Senators have outscored opponents 34-22 this month, and they’ve totaled 15 goals in the last three games. David Perron and Claude Giroux scored second-period goals Saturday to erase a 2-1 hole, and Ottawa went on to win 4-2 at Toronto for a third consecutive road victory.

“We’re finding different ways to win,” said Ottawa defenseman Jake Sanderson, who also scored Saturday. “We can play a skill game, we can play a tough game. We’re ready for anything.”

Even the Canadiens, who despite being behind Ottawa in the standings have outscored their Eastern Canadian rivals 9-3 in winning the first two meetings. That included a 5-2 victory at Ottawa on Feb. 22, which kickstarted Montreal’s current 7-1-2 stretch.

Cole Caufield had a goal with an assist and Patrik Laine scored his 13th power-play goal during Montreal’s impressive 3-1 home victory over Florida on Saturday.

“From start to finish, I think it was one of the best games we’ve played since I got here,” said Martin St. Louis, Montreal’s coach since February 2022.

“Now, it’s about going out and deserve more moments like that.”

Caufield has seven goals with five assists in the last 10 games, and scored 10 times in 12 career contests versus Ottawa. Teammate Juraj Slafkovsky has six points in the last three games, and a goal with two assists against the Senators this season.

Montreal’s Sam Montembeault has a 1.93 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage during his 6-1-1 stretch. He’s stopped 49 of 52 shots in two games versus Ottawa this season.

The Senators’ Linus Ullmark is 6-0-1 this month, but has allowed nine goals on 41 shots faced in those two 2024-25 games versus Montreal. Teammate Anton Forsberg has a 2.16 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage during his 5-2-0 starting stretch.

Ottawa star Tim Stutzle has five goals with 18 assists during an 18-game stretch. He’s posted five goals and six assists in his last six against the Canadiens.