OTT@MTL: What you need to know

MONTREAL – The Canadiens have returned from their three-game road trip and are set to square off with the Ottawa Senators on the occasion of Hockey Talks Night at the Bell Centre on Tuesday.

Here’s what you need to know heading into the game:

1. The Canadiens are looking to bounce back after suffering a 9-4 defeat at the hands of the Bruins in Boston on Saturday night. It was a busy game right from the beginning, with the teams scoring five goals combined in the first period. Cole Caufield opened the scoring with a power-play goal, while Joel Armia also lit the lamp in the opening frame. Mike Matheson (power-play goal) and Brendan Gallagher scored for Montreal in the second. The Habs went into the final stanza trailing 5-4, but the Bruins exploded for four goals to stave off their visiting opponents. Samuel Montembeault made 22 saves in the game before swapping with Cayden Primeau midway through the third. Primeau stopped five of the six shots he faced to close out the game.

2. The Habs had the day off on Sunday and returned to the ice for practice at the CN Sports Complex on Monday. All hands but one were on deck, as forward Sean Monahan took a therapy day in lieu of the skate. Later on Monday, the Canadiens loaned defenseman Justin Barron to the AHL’s Laval Rocket, placed forward Mitchell Stephens on waivers, and recalled defenseman Arber Xhekaj from the Rocket. We’ll have to wait until pregame media availabilities to see how all this plays out for Montreal’s lineup on Tuesday, but head coach Martin St-Louis did confirm that Jake Allen would get the start in goal.

3. After a small dry spell, Caufield has reemerged red-hot. With his goal on Saturday, the winger became the fifth Canadiens player in the last 50 years to record a five-game goal streak at age 23 or under. Three of his goals on this stretch have come on the power play, and Caufield now has eight points (5G, 3A) in his last six games. Caufield leads the Habs with a whopping 27 shots in those six games, followed by Matheson (23) and Nick Suzuki and Armia (17 apiece).

It’ll be a special night for fellow forward Josh Anderson, who is expected to suit up for his 500th career NHL game. Through his first 499, the 6-foot-3, 224-pound winger has 215 points (129G, 86A), 100 of which have come with the Canadiens. Anderson was drafted in the fourth round (95th overall) in 2012 by Columbus, and was acquired by Montreal in the trade that sent Max Domi to the Blue Jackets in 2020.

4. The Sens have been on a bit of a run of their own, winning three of their last five games – including a 6-2 victory over the Habs on Thursday. In their last outing, on Sunday, they beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3 thanks in part to Tim Stützle’s two-goal night. Stützle currently leads Ottawa with 43 points (10G, 33A) this season, followed by Claude Giroux and Brady Tkachuk (39 and 37 points, respectively).

Ottawa is currently at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings, a full 10 points behind Montreal, but the Senators hold four games in hand.

5. Tuesday’s game is Hockey Talks Night at the Bell Centre, and the organization will be taking the opportunity to highlight issues and resources related to mental health. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and you can tune in on TSN2, TSN5, or RDS on television, or listen in on TSN 690 or 98,5 fm on the radio. For tickets to the game, click here.