The Ottawa Senators have pivotal back-to-back games this weekend, with the Montreal Canadiens visiting the Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday night and a quick turnaround to a road game against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.

With their backs against the wall in the Eastern Conference playoff race, two wins would do wonders to get back in the mix and push for a wildcard spot. But these matchups are about more than getting points to climb the standings.

The Senators need to prove that they have another gear.

A somewhat nail-biting 2-1 victory over the reeling Vancouver Canucks at home on Tuesday snapped a 4-game losing streak, and the Senators followed it up a night later with a dominant 8-4 beatdown at Madison Square Garden over the lifeless New York Rangers.

They were expected to do exactly what they did and deserve credit for doing so, but most fans likely have a “wake me up when you beat a good team” mentality after a despondent stretch of games. 

That is why these games against the Canadiens and Red Wings are on a platter for the Senators to make a statement. 

Entering play Friday night, Detroit and Montreal are 2nd and 3rd in the Atlantic division, respectively. The Senators are dead last and 7 points out of the second wildcard spot.

Typically, a back-to-back scenario against top teams in the division would be daunting for a team fighting to get back into the playoff hunt. But given the Senators’ recent history with both teams, the expectation this weekend should be 4 points. 

For the last five years, the Senators have built feisty rivalries with the Canadiens and Red Wings. It’s a result of the young cores the teams have been assembling during their respective rebuilds. Each franchise has been desperate to take the next steps to become Stanley Cup contenders, especially after watching an Atlantic division team win it all in four of the last six seasons.

Montreal and Detroit have each taken a significant step so far this season, pacing the East with consistent play and leaving Ottawa in the rearview mirror.

But head-to-head, the Senators have done well against the Habs and Wings.

Ottawa has made two visits to the Bell Centre this season, the first was an overtime loss on a brainfart turnover by Drake Batherson in November, and the second was a convincing win in December to wrap up a 7-game road trip, punctuated by a signature Brady Tkachuk goal on a feed from Tim Stützle.

Saturday will be the first matchup in Ottawa and gives the Senators a chance to take a stranglehold on the season series with the Canadiens.

Sunday will be the second of four games against the Red Wings this season. The first was just last week in Ottawa, in which the Senators dominated but could not buy a save.

Both the Canadiens and Red Wings play a fast and skilled game, but the Senators’ defensive identity should allow them to thrive in both games. All eyes will be on Tkachuk, Stützle and Jake Sanderson, who all seem to step up their games against Montreal and Detroit.

These are good matchups for the Senators on paper. But results trump the process at this point in the season. They desperately need points, and this weekend is a great opportunity to gain significant momentum in the standings while making a statement against two budding rivals.

Jack Richardson
The Hockey News - Ottawa

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