The Montreal Canadiens (13-8-3) are set to host the Ottawa Senators (12-9-4), with the puck drop scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.
The Habs are fresh off a devastating defeat to the Colorado Avalanche, a 7-2 loss in which Montreal’s opponents essentially stopped trying toward the end of the game. The match up versus the Senators will be the perfect opportunity to forget Saturday’s disaster, not to mention build a little momentum as the Canadiens enter December.
The last time these two teams met, the Canadiens established an early 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, but the Senators stormed back, scoring three straight goals, and maintaining a 3-2 lead until the dying minutes of the third period.
That’s when Ivan Demidov scored his third goal of the year, to push the game to overtime. Injured forward Alex Newhook sealed the victory, though he obviously won’t be available on Tuesday due to an ankle injury which required a surgical intervention.
Samuel Montembeault, Defensive Situation
Netminder Samuel Montembeault will guard the net versus the Senators, looking to string together two wins for just the second time this season.
Even though he’s had a very difficult time finding his rhythm, Montembeault enjoyed his best game of the season in his last start, a 4-1 win versus the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday afternoon. He stopped 30 of the 31 shots sent his way, including over half-dozen high-danger chances.
As for the defensive pairings, it remains to be seen whether Jayden Struble will be able to face the Senators. If he’s cleared to play, expect him to return to the second pairing, alongside Lane Hutson. If he’s still on the mend, rookie Adam Engstrom will once again take his place on the blue line.
It also appears that Ottawa will strengthen its lineup by using enforcer Kurtis MacDermid, which means living troll Nick Cousins is unlikely to take to the ice. Given his incredibly weak underlying numbers, the Canadiens should have a significant advantage on the rare occasion that MacDermid is given a shift.
Don’t be surprised if Arber Xhekaj and MacDermid renew hostilities if the game gets out of hand, which is almost always the case when the Habs and Senators meet.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Zachary Bolduc
Juraj Slafkovsky – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Alexandre Texier– Jake Evans – Josh Anderson
Florian Xhekaj – Joe Veleno – Brendan Gallagher
Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Jayden Struble/Adam Engstrom – Lane Hutson
Arber Xhekaj – Alexandre Carrier
Samuel Montembeault
Ottawa Senators Projected Lineup
Brady Tkachuk – Tim Stutzle – Drake Batherson
David Perron – Dylan Cozens – Fabian Zetterlund
Lars Eller – Shane Pinto – Claude Giroux
Michael Amadio – Hayden Hodgson -Kurtis MacDermid
Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub
Tyler Kleven – Jordan Spence
Nikolas Matinpalo – Nick Jensen
Linus Ullmark
How To Watch The Habs Vs. The Senators
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Ottawa Senators, Tuesday, December 2, 2025, will be aired on TSN2, TSN5 and RDS. An instant recap complete with highlights will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle blows.
