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NHL Playoffs 2013: Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators Series Preview

By Josh Hill

Feb 25, 2013; Ottawa, ON, CAN; Montreal Canadiens centre Lars Eller (81) follows the puck on a rebound following a shot on Ottawa Senators goalie Ben Bishop (30) in the third period at Scotiabank Place. The Senators defeated the Canadiens 2-1 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2013; Ottawa, ON, CAN; Montreal Canadiens centre Lars Eller (81) follows the puck on a rebound following a shot on Ottawa Senators goalie Ben Bishop (30) in the third period at Scotiabank Place. The Senators defeated the Canadiens 2-1 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 25, 2013; Ottawa, ON, CAN; Montreal Canadiens centre Lars Eller (81) follows the puck on a rebound following a shot on Ottawa Senators goalie Ben Bishop (30) in the third period at Scotiabank Place. The Senators defeated the Canadiens 2-1 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2013; Ottawa, ON, CAN; Montreal Canadiens centre Lars Eller (81) follows the puck on a rebound following a shot on Ottawa Senators goalie Ben Bishop (30) in the third period at Scotiabank Place. The Senators defeated the Canadiens 2-1 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports /

The NHL Playoffs are finally upon us, which means it’s time to look ahead to what the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs hold. From the best team in hockey down to those who limped in at the very end of the season, this year’s field is loaded with teams itching to see their championship dreams realized. All the action kicks off April 30th, so let’s take a look at what’s in store for the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators.

Series Schedule: 

SERIES BTIME (ET)#2  VS.  #7NETWORKS
THURSDAY, MAY 2, 20137 P.M.OTTAWA AT MONTREALCNBC, CBC, RDS
FRIDAY, MAY 3, 20137 P.M.OTTAWA AT MONTREALCNBC, CBC, RDS
SUNDAY, MAY 5, 20137 P.M.MONTREAL AT OTTAWANBCSN, CBC, RDS
TUESDAY, MAY 7, 20137 P.M.MONTREAL AT OTTAWACNBC, CBC, RDS
*THURSDAY, MAY 9, 20137 P.M.OTTAWA AT MONTREALCBC, RDS
*SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2013TBDMONTREAL AT OTTAWACBC, RDS
*SUNDAY, MAY 12, 2013TBDOTTAWA AT MONTREALCBC, RDS

Montreal Canadiens:

Montreal has great and handle the puck just as well, which is something that helps them have a swarm mentality against opponents. The Habs are constantly moving bodies and moving the puck and it’s something that’s very hard to defend against. That being said, they’re not the toughest of teams and they’re not the biggest which means they could get knocked around by a team not afraid to get rough. They also lost six of their last 10 games and aren’t coming into the NHL Playoffs hot.

Ottawa Senators:

If there’s a team that knows it’s identity and knows how to play as a unit to win, it’s the Senators.  They play together and when they’re healthy they’re an incredibly hard team to stop. The Sens have endured injuries from lingering issues to freak accidents like the Erik Karlsson Achilles slice. But while they’re a mature unit, they don’t have the firepower to rally if they give up early goals and that might come back to bite them.

Bottom Line:

The Ottawa Senators have a serious edge here and might pull of a huge upset in the first round. They play as a unit, they’re mature and they’re healthy which is a massive advantage in the NHL Playoffs. Bit while that’s all massively important, the Habs are a quick team and a dangerous team to play loose and Ottawa has a tough time rallying after allowing early goals. That’s not a good trait to have against a swarming team like Montreal.

Prediction: Ottawa Senators win series 4-3

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