The Canadiens roll into Ottawa riding a five-game win streak and playing their best defensive hockey of the season, while the Senators return home after a flat road loss in Columbus. With both teams trending toward the playoffs, this Friday night tilt carries serious Atlantic Division seeding implications. But with goaltending peaking and both teams playing tight, conservative hockey down the stretch, is the Under the sharpest angle?
Betting Odds & Key Trends
- Montreal ATS Record: 45-33 overall, 9-3 ATS in last 12 road games
- Ottawa ATS Record: 33-45 overall, 1-4 ATS in last 5 vs Montreal
- Head-to-Head: 6 of last 8 meetings went Over, but recent form points the other way
- Montreal Last 10 Games: 6-3-1 SU, 6-4 ATS
- Ottawa Last 10 Games: 6-3-1 SU, 3-6 ATS
Matchup Breakdown
Montreal’s current form is driven by a suffocating defensive stretch: 1.4 goals allowed per game over their last 5, all wins. Sam Montembeault has been brilliant in net, posting a .947 SV% over his last 4 starts, including wins over Boston, Detroit, and Florida. His calm, poised play has been the difference in close games — all five wins came with 5 goals or fewer.
Offensively, the Canadiens aren’t exactly pouring it on. Despite the 5-0 SU run, they’ve averaged just 3.2 goals per game, and their power play is ice cold (0-for-9 in the last 5 games). That’s a concern going into Ottawa, who has allowed just 3 total goals in their last 3 home games, including a shutout of Florida.
The Senators also come into this one leaning on defense. They’ve held opponents to 2 or fewer goals in 4 of their last 5, with Daniil Tarasov and Sergei Bobrovsky among the goalies shut down. However, their offense is inconsistent. Ottawa scored just 2 goals or fewer in 3 of their last 5 and struggled on the man advantage, going just 2-for-20 on the power play over the last 6 games.
These are two teams with elite recent penalty killing (Montreal 15-for-16, Ottawa 16-for-17 last 5 games) and stingy shot metrics. Montreal is allowing just 24.8 shots per game over their win streak, while Ottawa continues to clog shooting lanes at home, giving up just 22 shots to Buffalo and 19 to Tampa.
