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Canadiens vs. Senators: A Rivalry Renewed This Saturday
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- Canadiens vs. Senators: A Rivalry Renewed This Saturday
Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens (8-3-0) are set to play the Ottawa Senators (6-5-1), with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.
This will mark the first game since Montreal's productive West Coast trip, which saw them secure wins against the Calgary Flames , Vancouver Canucks , and Seattle Kraken .
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Forward Cole Caufield , one of the hottest goalscorers in the NHL, led the charge, including the game-winning goal in overtime versus the Kraken, securing the franchise record (11) in the process.
Despite his impressive pace, the NHL left him off a recent projection for Team USA's 2026 Winter Olympics roster, a rather ridiculous proposal when we consider Caufield isn't just on a hot streak, he's been one of the most dominant forwards in the league since 2024.
Montreal Canadiens Roster Changes
The only expected roster change will see veteran netminder Samuel Montembeault given the start, rather than rookie Jakub Dobes . This decision was made to instill a little confidence in Montembeault, as he has struggled mightily to start the season. Dobes, on the other hand, is yet to taste defeat.
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Montembeault will have to be up to the task on Saturday, especially since history dictates it will be a rowdy game, with the Senators always going out of their way to play their best hockey whenever they face the Canadiens.
The last time these two teams met, a one-sided 5-0 victory by the Canadiens in preseason, the two hated rivals combined for 150 minutes of penalties, including a bevy of fights that also resulted in clear-cut wins for the Habs.
There was an era in which the Senators not only dictated the scoreline, they also imposed a rough-and-tumble style that frustrated the Canadiens for several seasons. Recently, the script has been flipped, with the Senators desperately trying to regain some of their honour in the physical battles.
Unfortunately for Ottawa, they have no one in the lineup who can match up with Arber Xhekaj , as evidenced by former Senators forward Zack MacEwen 's multiple beat downs at the hand of his Canadiens counterpart.
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Coincidentally, or not, the Senators traded MacEwen to the New Jersey Devils shortly after the last meeting between the two teams.
Bad Blood
Once the fights toned down, Nick Cousins , one of the most notorious agitators in the league, opted to deliver a nasty slash to rookie Ivan Demidov 's wrist. It should be noted he only found his bravery once both Arber and Florian Xhekaj were ejected from the game.
Cousins was kicked out of the match up, and consequently fined by the league for his cheap shot, but the score is far from settled according to the Habs.
"It'll be a physical, hard-nosed game," said Jayden Struble . "They bring that same energy. You know, getting on our guys. It's definitely going to carry over a little bit."
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Xhekaj was a little more direct in his approach when the media brought up the topic.
"We definitely remember what happened," he said to TVA Sports . "Nobody likes to see cheap shots like that one."
Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup
Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Juraj Slafkovsky
Alex Newhook – Oliver Kapanen – Ivan Demidov
Josh Anderson – Jake Evans – Brendan Gallagher
Zach Bolduc – Kirby Dach – Joe Veleno
Jayden Struble – Lane Hutson
Arber Xhekaj – Alexandre Carrier
Samuel Montembeault
Ottawa Senators Projected Lineup
Nick Cousins – Tim Stutzle – Drake Batherson
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Ridly Greig – Dylan Cozens – David Perron
Michael Amadio – Shane Pinto – Claude Giroux
Kurtis MacDermid – Lars Eller – Fabian Zetterlund
How To Watch
The Montreal Canadiens versus the Ottawa Senators, Saturday, November 1, 2025, will be aired on City TV, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet 1, and TVA Sports. An instant recap will be available on Sportsnaut as soon as the final whistle blows.
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