Mar 11, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators center Dylan Cozens (24) draws a penalty picking the puck from the pads of Montreal Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler (32) in the first period at the Canadian Tire Centre. | Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images
It is reportedly just an illness for Cole Caufield, and not an injury as the initial concern was. He should be back soon, but he won’t play this important game tonight.
First period
A very calm glove save for Jacob Fowler will start this game off. That will calm some nerves on the bench (and behind it).
On the second shot he gets run into by Dylan Cozens in the crease, and that will put Montreal on the power play.
A blind pass from Nick Suzuki catches three Senators defenders off-guard as they’re all a half-second slow to reach it. The puck makes its way to Ivan Demidov who faces Linus Ullmark alone, but waits long enough for Juraj Slafkovský to get in position to his left to give him the pass for the easier tap-in.
Nick Suzuki spins it to Ivan Demidov, who finds Juraj Slafkovsky on the other side. 1-0 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) March 11, 2026 at 8:49 PM
Interestingly, the Canadiens are standing up at the blue line to deny entries tonight. That’s not something they normally do.
An excellent shift by Kirby Dach keeps Tim Stützle playing in his own zone.
Lane Hutson tries a little too hard to win the puck back immediately after losing it, and trips up his man. Ottawa gets a chance on the power play to tie it.
They’re also staying high to resist entries on the penalty kill. This is great defence.
There were more dangerous rushes for Montreal than Ottawa on that PK.
The forwards are supporting the defence and Ottawa’s attempted cycles are going nowhere. The Canadiens do know how to play defence.
Nick Cousins charges in and leaps to throw a hit on Alexandre Carrier so hard his skates hit the glass, then follows it up with a shove of Carrier’s head. He then chickens out of invitations to fight from both Jayden Struble and Josh Anderson.
Nick Suzuki gets tripped so he can’t hold the puck in. The Habs fans in attendance let the officials know what they think of that non-call.
The Senators are getting frustrated now with having no space to work with and are just hitting everyone. The Habs should just keep continuing what they’re doing. No need to change their tactics to match.
Ottawa puts one shift of pressure together and gets a power play out of it. Outplayed completely in this game, they have a 2-1 edge in power plays as Josh Anderson goes off for roughing.
At the same time, this is exactly why Montreal shouldn’t be trying to play Ottawa’s game.
The Senators think they have the tying goal, and the overhead shows that Drake Batherson had the puck go off his skate and in, despite his best efforts to clear it off the line himself.
Ottawa has taken over the lead in shots because the Habs have forgotten that there’s a puck involved in this game.
Suzuki is watching the puck to get in position to defend the Senators’ breakout and take a blind-side hit from Michael Amadio. No call on the play.
Carrier’s clearing attempt is picked off and he loses his man behind him on the turnover. Tim Stützle’s turns it into a 2-1 lead for his team.
It’s been a rough period for Carrier, who was also trying to cover the back post on the first Sens goal.
Montreal was in full control until Cousins got away with his charge and the Habs changed their game. The Senators were outclassed when Montreal was playing a composed possession game, and they need to get back to that in the second.
Second period
Slafkovský gets tripped by Stützle and that leads to a turnover and a great chance for the Senators. That has be be blown down for a penalty when it directly leads to an opportunity to score. Let’s call that the fourth penalty Ottawa has taken in this game and been called for one.
Anderson gets wrapped up and hauled down in the corner so he can’t get to a loose puck and another Senators comes in a takes is. Five penalties. This is ridiculous. How do you compete in such a situation?
Demidov drives down the wing around a couple of Senators and comes very close to tying the game.
Hutson is going to box again to give Ottawa a third power play. Interference is the call.
Kaiden Guhle gets tripped while trying to chip the puck up the wall on the penalty kill. Montreal will be back on the power play after 22 seconds of four-on-four.
This is a new one. The Senators play the puck into their own zone and Suzuki collects the puck and starts the offensive-zone setup. About 20 seconds later, the linesman decides the play was actually offside and blows his whistle. I don’t know what’s happening with the officiating in this game.
Hard to get anything going on a power play that includes a random whistle to stop the play.
A longer stretch of five-on-five has allowed Montreal to start getting offensive-zone time once again.
Slafkovský passes up a shot from the slot, trying to replicate the goal set up to him in the opening period, but his bump across to Suzuki is blocked.
Oliver Kapanen sends a rebound just wide of an empty net.
It’s all Montreal here right now. Must be just about time for another Ottawa power play.
Montreal gets a shot, but Slafkovský’s writer from the point goes off the crossbar … and desperate clearing swipe results in a breakaway for Ottawa. But Fowler both stops the initial chance and stays in strong enough position to send the rebound opportunity wide.
At the other end once again, Alexandre Texier wraps the puck around the net and has it just sneak over the goal line, tying the game.
Not sure if this will be Texier’s or Struble’s, but one of them had this over the line.
2-2.
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) March 11, 2026 at 10:16 PM
Ottawa completes a cross-crease pass on a two-on-one, but Fowler has the angle cut down completely when Brady Tkachuk gets on the other end.
An ill-advised icing from Montreal under no pressure gives Ottawa 12 seconds to set something up in the offensive zone, but the game will stay in a 2-2 tie through the second intermission.
Montreal is the better team at five-on-five, even if the Senators are getting the puck to the crease a bit too easily. They’ve handled the questionable officiating well.
Third period
A little too conservative from Montreal to start the period, with a couple of icings. They seem more concerned about allowing a goal than scoring one.
Demidov fights through several checks to keep the puck cycling in the offensive zone. He gets held, and then his stick hits Batherson in the face. He goes to the box, but that was an excellent shift from the rookie.
Slafkovský tries to play the puck and four-on-four and Tkachuk decides to hold him on the ice so he can’t.
Montreal is getting zone time, but no shots right now.
Matheson gets one with a quick deke to get past a defender. Ullmark needs to make a critical stop.
The crowd boos as the Sens’ defence runs some more interference to deny a Habs scoring chance.
Ullmark stops an initial shot from Alex Newhook, but dribbles a rebound out to his left. Demidov is attacking the zone with speed and is first on the scene to pound it in.
Alex Newhook with a muffin on Ullmark and Ivan Demidov buries the rebound
3-2 Habs!
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) March 11, 2026 at 11:06 PM
“Olé! Olé Olé Olé!” An injured Jake Sanderson won’t be happy with what’s happening below him in the stands.
The Habs deserved that one given how they had been playing for about six minutes. Now there’s a lead to hold.
The icings begin.
Fowler stops a dangerous chance in his end, the Sens just clear another losse puck at the other.
Slafkovský misses the empty net from inside the offensive zone. Will they rue that miss?
An incredible lunge from Fowler to make a save with his left foot. Simply incredible from him.
Absolute Carey Price vibes from Fowler as he makes the save of the game
He is Him, it cannot be denied
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) March 11, 2026 at 11:18 PM
The goaltender makes a couple more great saves. This moment is exactly why he’s playing this game.
Ottawa needed the two points more, but Montreal takes them. The Habs are now tied for second in the Atlantic Division, and move nine points clear of Ottawa in the standings. A huge result.
The Habs have two well-earned days off, then get a do-over versus the two teams they lost to in California.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) Two entertaining nights of national local broadcast entertainment
2) I bet she did enough celebrating for the two of you
1) Playing with a different set of rules, still one of the top teams in the NHL
