The set-up
The Sens (22-34-5) snapped a three-game losing streak Friday night as they beat Philadelphia 3-1 at Canadian Tire Centre.
Montreal (16-36-9) were beaten 4-3 in overtime by Dallas Thursday night and are 1-2-2 over their last five games.
Since Martin St. Louis was hired as head coach on Feb. 9, the Canadiens have vastly improved and have gone 8-6-2 under the Hockey Hall of Famer.
The Canadiens are still the lowest scoring team in the league at 2.48 goals per game but since St. Louis was hired they've scored nearly an extra goal a game at 3.25. Montreal's power play continues to struggle as under their new head coach they convert just 13.1 per cent of the time, the second lowest in the league.
On the other hand, the Senators' power play continues to shine and they got another goal on the man advantage Friday as Josh Norris fired home his 12th power play goal of the season. The Senators are 7-for 18 over their last eight games to hold the fifth best conversion rate in the NHL over that stretch.
Over that same timeframe, the Sens have averaged 34.3 shots per game, more than four shots higher than their season average. The Habs give up the fifth most shots per game in the NHL at 33.7.
Of Ottawa's 22 wins, 17 have come when they score first. The Senators are 10-15-3 on the road while Montreal is 8-18-3 at home.
Roster notes
No changes are expected tonight for the Senators so Nicholas Paul again will be a healthy scratch as the NHL Trade Deadline looms.
The Senators did recall Dillon Heatherington from Belleville but he is not expected to play.
Filip Gustavsson will start tonight in goal for the Sens. Gustavsson is 3-10-1 with a 3.69 GAA and a .890 save percentage this season. Tonight will be just his third NHL start in 2022.
Previous history
Tonight is the 158th all-time meeting between the two teams. The Sens are 72-69-11 with five ties against the NHL opponent they have faced the most.
The two Atlantic Division rivals have only met once so far this season with Montreal winning 2-1 in Ottawa on Feb. 26 as Colin White had the Sens lone goal.
The two teams will meet again in Montreal on April 5 before the Habs visit Canadian Tire Centre April 23.
Who to watch
With his goal last night, Josh Norris now has six goals in his last six games. His power play marker Friday took him to 25 goals on the season as he became the first Senator to hit that mark since Mark Stone (28 goals) and Matt Duchene (27) in the 2018-19 season.
Norris' 21.9 per cent shooting percentage is the second best in the NHL among players with at least 100 shots this season. His 35 points this year are the fourth most on the Senators.
Where to watch
Saturday's game can be seen live on CITY, Sportsnet 360 and TVAS at 7 p.m. Fans can also tune into the radio call on TSN 1200 and Unique FM 94,5.
