Senators Sink Canadiens 5-2: Defensive Breakdowns, Missed Opportunities, and a Night to Forget in Montreal
The Canadiens came into Tuesday night’s game looking for a bounce-back after a rough outing on Saturday. Instead, they delivered another performance that raises more questions than answers. Against a divisional rival in the Ottawa Senators, Montreal was outworked, out-executed, and outscored-falling 5-2 in a game that exposed some glaring issues on both ends of the ice.
Let’s break it down.
First Period: A Promising Start, Then It Unravels
The game opened with energy, but it didn’t take long for the cracks to show. An early Senators penalty gave Montreal’s power play a chance to strike, and they did just that.
Cole Caufield found Juraj Slafkovský with a sharp cross-crease pass, and the big winger buried it for the 50th goal of his career. It was a beautiful setup and a milestone moment for Slafkovský, but the celebration didn’t last long.
Before the goal could even be announced, Fabian Zetterlund answered right back for Ottawa with a one-timer that beat Samuel Montembeault clean. Just like that, we were tied at one.
Then came the physicality-and the chaos. With the Xhekaj brothers on the ice, the tone shifted.
The building came alive as the hits started flying, including a near-launch of Ridly Greig into the Canadiens' bench. Things boiled over when Shane Pinto tried to shove Montembeault into the net.
Jayden Struble wasn't having it, and the two ended up in the box. Montreal traded Struble for Ottawa’s top scorer, but it didn’t swing momentum their way.
Montreal’s puck movement started to falter. Forced passes, sloppy breakouts, and poor support through the neutral zone allowed Ottawa to dictate the pace. The Canadiens looked disconnected-defenders like Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson were left trying to do too much without help from the forwards.
Then came the defensive lapse that gave Ottawa the lead. Artem Zub was left completely alone in the slot, and with time to make a few moves, he beat Montembeault to make it 2-1. Lane Hutson and Caufield were late to react, and it was another example of the Canadiens’ defensive zone coverage breaking down.
Florian Xhekaj had a chance to tie it on a two-on-one, but he hesitated and lost the puck. Seconds later, Pinto took a nasty cross-checking penalty on Hutson-one that looked more like intent to injure than a hockey play. Montreal got a late power play but couldn’t capitalize before the period ended.
After 20 minutes, Montreal had just six shots-half of them coming on the early power play. The Senators were the better team in every phase.
Second Period: A Glimmer of Hope, Then More Trouble
The Canadiens started the second with 50 seconds of power-play time but couldn’t generate anything meaningful. The game stayed physical, and Struble and Tkachuk renewed hostilities near the Ottawa bench. Tkachuk somehow avoided a penalty despite skating off with Struble’s stick in hand.
Defensive breakdowns continued to haunt Montreal. Dobson lost his man, and Jake Sanderson made them pay by walking around Montembeault to make it 3-1. Just minutes later, Montembeault gave up a rebound in tight, and Drake Batherson pounced to stretch the lead to 4-1.
At this point, the Canadiens were chasing the puck and the game. Defensive structure was nowhere to be found, and the Senators were taking full advantage.
But there was a flicker of life. The second line drew a penalty, and on the power play, Nick Suzuki delivered a much-needed goal with a short-side snipe from the right circle. That made it 4-2 and gave Montreal a sliver of hope.
Still, discipline remained an issue. Arber Xhekaj ended up in the box for putting Dylan Cozens in a headlock, giving Ottawa another chance with the man advantage. The Senators nearly connected again on a dangerous pass across the crease, but the puck skipped wide.
Montreal had a few chances late in the period-Joe Veleno hit the post and then tipped another shot on net-but couldn’t close the gap. It was a better period than the first, but the damage had already been done.
If the Canadiens had tightened up after the third goal, they might have gone into the third down just one. Instead, they needed to score two in the final 20 minutes to salvage anything.
Third Period: No Comeback, No Spark
Martin St-Louis opened the third with Slafkovský’s line, looking to set the tone. Suzuki nearly scored early on a far-side shot, and Lane Hutson delivered a big open-ice hit on Tkachuk, who responded with some chirping from the bench.
But the Canadiens couldn’t find the urgency they needed. Ottawa kept them pinned in their own zone for stretches, and when Montreal did push back, they couldn’t finish. Alexandre Carrier nearly added to Ottawa’s lead but lost the puck at the last second.
Midway through the period, there was still no progress on the scoreboard. Brendan Gallagher was tripped while trying to cycle the puck-but no call came.
Moments later, Tkachuk put the game out of reach with a goal that made it 5-2. Montembeault guessed on the shot and guessed wrong.
That was essentially the dagger.
Final Thoughts: A Step Backward
This was a game the Canadiens needed to show something-a response, a spark, some resilience. Instead, they delivered a flat performance that knocked them out of a playoff spot.
Montreal’s problems weren’t limited to one area. The defensive zone coverage was porous, the neutral zone play was disjointed, and the goaltending didn’t bail them out. Even when the Canadiens had chances, they lacked finish and composure.
There was plenty of bark-especially with the physical play-but not enough bite. And after a 7-2 loss just days ago, this wasn’t the kind of answer the coaching staff was hoping for.
Now they’ll have to regroup quickly, with the Winnipeg Jets up next on the schedule. The Canadiens need a response-one that goes beyond emotion and shows actual structure, discipline, and execution.
Because right now, things are trending in the wrong direction.