This is battle of two teams neck-and-neck in the NHL’s Atlantic Division standings as we enter play on this Tuesday. Welcome to NHL Predictions with us here at Last Word On Hockey. Check out our statistical breakdown, analysis, storylines, and predictions for not just this one, but games all season long. The Ottawa Senators continue their grueling road trip with a visit to Montreal, as the Habs looks to maintain their edge in the standings. Montreal is 13-8-3, or 29 points to Ottawa’s 28 points, thanks to their 12-9-4 record. Find out who we are taking in this one.
NHL Predictions as Ottawa visits Montreal
2025-26 Season Series – Montreal won on November 1st 4-3 in overtime.
Start Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
How to Watch: TSN2, RDS, TSN5
Location: Le Centre Bell à Montreal, Quebec
Okay, yes, this is one of the best rivalries in hockey right now. They are two Atlantic Division teams that qualified for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. And fans of both sides have their own ideas of what scores are left unsettled. It is a test for Ottawa’s toughness, and their willingness to sacrifice some of their skilled guys that need to back up their words with fists. Fortunately, they are healthy, but Montreal has had some injuries pile up. Brady Tkachuk and Ridly Greig are recently back in the lineup, but Thomas Chabot remains out. Meanwhile, Montreal remains without Alex Newhook, Patrik Laine, Kaiden Guhle, and Kirby Dach for this one.
What’s the Story for Ottawa
For Ottawa in this one, they could use a win. To finish off their seven-game road trip, they could either be above .500, or below, currently sitting 3-3-0.
Ottawa needs to muck up the middle of the ice, and shutdown the Canadiens. Dylan Cozens and Shane Pinto are huge assets that most teams can’t slow down. Given that that is a weakness of Montreal, if Ottawa can grind this one out, and take away the middle of the ice, they should be able to get the edge.
One aspect this game might boil down to is the special teams. If you combine power play success and penalty kill rate together, you want to be near 100. Ottawa is only at 91.7 (21.8% power play and 69.9% penalty kill). That’s not good enough and something they need to address. Meanwhile, Montreal is much more reasonable, at exactly 100. They are boosted by their ninth rank power play at 23.5%. This specialty team matchup is something Ottawa doesn’t want to lose, or they might dip below .500 to wrap up this road trip.
The Matchup Discussion
Offensively, Montreal should have a slight edge. They are fourth in goals for at 3.42, compared against tied-for 14th Ottawa at 3.04. However, shooting percentage is a bigger advantage for the Habs. They are first in the entire NHL at 13.8%. Ottawa is decent, at a tie for ninth at 11.7%. Where Ottawa has a decided edge, is faceoffs. They are first in the league at a 57.8 faceoff win percentage. For comparison, Montreal is 14th at 50.1%.
For the goaltending, it is supposed to be a premier matchup. In contrast, looking at the numbers so far, it is anything but that (premier). Linus Ullmark remains in the running for Team Sweden at the Olympics. He’s 9-6-4 on the season with a 3.10 goals-against average, but a less than ideal .874 save percentage. Now, we will say his total numbers don’t tell the whole story, as his bad games tend to drag down his bottom-line statistics.
Meanwhile, for Sam Montembeault, his poor season so far has likely cost him a spot on Team Canada. We will say, anything can happen. However, the team has to be picked in just a few weeks now. Guys like Logan Thompson and even Darcy Kuemper are likely ahead of him on the depth charts now. For the one they call Monty, he is 5-5-1, with a 3.48 GAA and an .864 SV%. But let’s add our disclaimer, to please check for the very latest lineup news before locking in your daily fantasy roster. At this time Monty is confirmed, but Ully is marked as expected.
Some Thoughts on Montreal’s Situation
There is one player to keep an eye on from Montreal’s perspective. Nick Suzuki has been playing well for the past few games. Scratch that, Suzuki has been playing well for the past few seasons. If he is not a top pick among “the rest of the guys” for the 2026 Milano Cortina Team Canada Winter Olympics roster, it would be a huge surprise. Suzuki is a centre, who plays a terrific two-way game, and can fill the scoresheet. Plus, there is the symbolism of him being a captain, and of a Canadian team. All very desirable attributes for those picking the exclusive Canadian squad.
NHL Predictions
The way these games tend to go is either back and forth tight contests, or lopsided affairs that turn into brew-ha-has. With willing combatants like Tyler Kleven and Arber Xhekaj on either side, there’s no backing down. We think it is one where the skill takes over, but really it is anybody’s guess.
Prediction: Senators 3 – Canadiens 2
Prop Bets
To go along with our score prediction, check out a couple anytime scorers. For Ottawa, we like Cozens to bury biscuit. If he plays his game, he should find room for himself, eventually. For Montreal, Cole Caufield is another hopeful Olympian, but this time for Team USA. He looks to keep this good times rolling offensively.
Main Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Please play responsibly, check for your local rules and age restrictions; some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
The post An All-Canadian Edition of NHL Predictions With Ottawa Senators at Montreal Canadiens appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.