Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens: Did Drake Batherson’s 2-goal first period set the pace?

The Ottawa Senators entered at 32-23-9 with 2 points and the Montreal Canadiens arrived at 36-18-10 with 3 points in a 3-2 game at Canadian Tire Centre. The Ottawa Senators full-time result came after the Sens scored 2 goals in the 1st period and the Habs scored 1 goal in each period.

First period

The Ottawa Senators opened with 2 goals in the 1st period while the Canadiens had 1 goal in the same period. Drake Batherson recorded 2 goals on 4 shots and finished with 6 hits, and the Sens got 2 assists from Tim Stutzle. The Sens power play produced 1 goal on 3 opportunities, and the Canadiens penalty kill faced 4 Ottawa shots on those chances. Ottawa finished the period-driven start with a 34-23 edge in shots for the game, while Montreal’s goaltending ended with 32 saves on 34 shots.

Second period

The Ottawa Senators were held to 0 goals in the 2nd period as the Canadiens scored 1 goal to level the scoring trend across periods. Ottawa’s puck management showed 9 giveaways and 6 takeaways, and Montreal posted 24 giveaways with 5 takeaways in the same game flow. The Senators delivered 33 hits and the Canadiens recorded 31 hits, and Ottawa also logged 24 blocked shot attempts compared with 11 for Montreal. Ottawa Senators post-match stats reflected 27 faceoffs won on 53 draws, while the Canadiens won 26 faceoffs on 53 draws.

Third period

The Ottawa Senators were held to 0 goals in the 3rd period, and the Canadiens scored 1 goal in the 3rd period to finish with 3 goals. The Sens goaltending line showed 20 saves on 23 shots against with 3 goals against, and Montreal’s goaltending closed with 32 saves on 34 shots against with 2 goals against. Montreal went 1-for-2 on the power play, and Ottawa’s shorthanded unit allowed 1 goal against on 1 shot against during those Canadiens power-play sequences. For post-game thoughts Ottawa Senators, Ottawa’s 6 penalty minutes came with 3 minor penalties, while Montreal logged 8 penalty minutes on 4 minor penalties.

Game wrap

The Ottawa Senators vs Montreal Canadiens full match report centered on Batherson earning a game star nod alongside Montreal goaltender Jacob Fowler and Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov. The Canadiens finished with a 13 shooting percent on 23 shots, and the Sens finished with a 6 shooting percent on 34 shots.

The next Ottawa Senators game is scheduled for 1:00 PM EDT on 3/14/2026 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada against the Anaheim Ducks, with broadcasts on ESPN+, Victory+, and KCOP-TV. Keep it locked for the next puck drop, and share this article with other Sens fans.