Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators Pick & Prediction – 1/17/2026

Saturday’s NHL matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators features two Canadian sides in different places in the Atlantic Division. Montreal enters this contest in third place in the Atlantic, while Ottawa is in last place. Here, I take a closer look at this rivalry game in Ontario and you will be able to find my Canadiens vs Senators prediction right here.

Our Canadiens vs Senators Pick

Game Snapshot

• Matchup: Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators
• Date & Time: Saturday, January 17, 2026, 7:00 PM ET
• Venue: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
• Broadcast: ESPN+

Key Storylines

Recent form

Montreal enters this game having lost three of its last four games. The Habs will need to step things up defensively to beat the Senators and get back into the win column here, after each of the first two meetings between these teams this season have seen a total of seven goals scored.

Ottawa arrives fresh off an 8-4 win over the Rangers, displaying explosive offense and getting multi-point efforts from stars like Brady Tkachuk and Dylan Cozens. Despite that offensive outburst, Ottawa’s defensive performance over recent games has been inconsistent, and they will try to fix that in this matchup against Montreal.

Goaltending

Montreal’s netminders have struggled this year, with Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes both having GAAs over 3.00 for the season. Ottawa’s goaltending has been under pressure, prompting the recent signing of veteran James Reimer in hopes of stabilizing things in their crease. Until Ullmark returns to full duties, the Senators may go with Leevi Merilainen tonight.

Key skaters

Montreal’s attack is spearheaded by influential playmakers and finishers. Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens in scoring with consistent production, supported by Cole Caufield’s goal scoring and Lane Hutson’s playmaking from the back end. For Ottawa, Tim Stutzle is the engine that drives the offense, combining goal scoring with assists, while Brady Tkachuk’s physical presence and scoring touch elevate Ottawa’s chances in tight contests.

Betting Trends & H2H

• These teams are 1-1 against each other so far this season.
• Ottawa games are 27-19 to the over going into Saturday night.
• The over is 29-19 in games involving the Canadiens this year.

Canadiens vs Senators Model Projection

Final Thoughts

Jay Sanin

Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.