The Ottawa Senators closed out their seven-game road on a “positive” note defeating the Montreal Canadiens 5-2. After back-to-back losses in St. Louis and Dallas where they were soundly beaten 6-1, the Senators finish their two-week sojourn with a 4-3-0 record.
Canadiens Juraj Slafkovsky opened the scoring on the power play 3:37 in, before Senators Fabian Zetterlund ripped a shot past Sam Montenbeault 24 seconds later tie the game at one. Senators defenseman Artem Zub finished a nifty Brady Tkachuk backhand pass, making a shifty deke of his own to put his team up by with 3:07 remaining in the opening period.
Jake Sanderson driving to the net extended the Senators lead to two, followed by Drake Batherson’s ninth of the season 1:10 later. Nick Suzuki got one back for Les Habitants for the second PP marker.
Senators Brady Tkachuk closed out the scoring 12:43 into the third period with his first goal since returning from right thumb surgery Friday, which was also his first tally of the 2025-26 campaign.
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Four Quick Hits
Tkcaptain is back
The more intense the game, the better Brady Tkachuk plays. And Tuesday evening was no different. Senators head coach Travis Green made a comparison to it being close to a playoff game, and the Senators captain rose to the occasion. One of four Ottawa players registering multi-point outings,Tkachuk made his presence felt throughout the night in his third game since returning from thumb surgery.
Tkachuk’s assist was a heady highlight-reel play. Topping his game off with the Senators fifth marker using his patented snap shot. The tally was Tkachuk’s first in six games played this season to go along with five assists. Playing the left side on a line with Tim Stützle/Fabian Zetterlund, the 26-year-old was a plus-three, while registering three shots on goal, totalling 10 shot attempts during the match.
It wasn’t just the points produced, but Tkachuk’s leadership/character in the room appeared to settle his teammates after a rough pair of games.
“I think the difference with tonight was the positivity throughout the room. I think everybody just tried focusing on, just one shift at a time, what they can control. And I think in St Louis, we didn’t just play our great game at all, and Dallas is what it is. So no, tonight I think it shows the maturity of that can easily get into a trend, into a cycle, but we really made a commitment to one another, that we got the job done tonight,” said Tkachuk postgame.
The game at the Bell Centre was an important one at any time of the season, especially against a key Atlantic Division rival.
“It’s a four-point swing, these types of games, and usually these big games, are after bye week. But with how close everything is it’s important in early December. So we came in with the mindset that the last game of the road trip, we wanted to get this road trip off over a .500 record, and that’d be a successful trip. So it was a great game, great game by absolutely everybody,” explained Tkachuk.
Senators’ Zetterlund finding the net
It’s been a tough go for Fabian Zetterlund since being acquired as the key piece at last season’s trade deadline from the San Jose Sharks. In his 20 games post-2025 deadline, the versatile forward produced only five points (two goals, three assists).
Based on his two previous seasons, Senators general manager Steve Staios didn’t hesitate to ink Zetterlund to a three-year, $12.825 million extension. Playing a sound checking style, the Swede hadn’t been able to produce. Slotted throughout the Senators lineup, Zetterlund netted only one goal over his first 20 games in the 2025-26 campaign. However, getting out of town has been kind to the five foot-eleven, 208-pound sparkplug. Zetterlund has notched four goals, one assist in six games, and may have finally turned a corner for the first time in a Senators uniform.
Zetterlund acknowleged he’s “gained confidence” from scoring. And on his finest game this season, he dedicated it to his late Grandmother who passed away over the weekend.
“It was nice. It was for her.”
Contributions from the Senators ‘D’
The Senators offense is receiving a huge boost from the back end this season. Even with Thomas Chabot missing from the lineup six of the past seven games due to injury, Senators defenders rank fourth league-wide in total points (66). Jake Sanderson leads the way with 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 26 games. And on this night scored a key goal.
Zub added another, while the d-pair of Tyler Kleven and Jordan Spence each recorded two helpers, giving the club six points from the blue line.
Stingy shot totals for and against
The good news; the Senators held the Canadiens high-powered offense to 21 shots on goal. In fact, the team sits fourth in the NHL in allowing the fewest shots per game on average (25.4).
Conversely, though they compiled five goals on 29 shots, it was the Senators highest shot total in 10 games since posting 29, November 11 in an overtime loss to the Stars.
Averaging 29 shots per game last season, the Senators currently rank 14th, averaging 26.2. The team has only reached the 30-mark on seven occasions in 26 games, with the last time being over a month ago, October 30 versus the Calgary Flames.
The Senators finally return home for a three-game home stand, starting Thursday when they face the New York Rangers.
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Tagged: Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators