Demidov’s Late Goal Lifts Canadiens to 3-2 Victory Over Senators

OTTAWA — Ivan Demidov scored the game-winning goal with 7:20 remaining in the third period, propelling the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night. The win marks the Canadiens’ third consecutive victory.

Game Recap

Demidov’s decisive goal came off a rebound from an Alex Newhook shot, beating Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark. Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Texier likewise scored for Montreal. Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler delivered a strong performance, stopping 32 shots.

Drake Batherson scored both goals for the Ottawa Senators. Tim Stützle recorded his 100th career multi-point game, extending his point streak to 14 games with eight goals and 11 assists.

Key Moments

The Canadiens tied the game after Slafkovsky’s shot hit the post, leading to a sequence where Texier scored a wraparound goal against Ullmark. Late in the third period, Fowler made a crucial save on Claude Giroux to preserve Montreal’s lead.

First Period Action

Slafkovsky opened the scoring for Montreal with a power-play goal at 1:16, assisted by Demidov. The Senators responded with a power-play goal of their own at 16:45, with Batherson deflecting a shot from Brady Tkachuk. Batherson added another goal with just 1:19 left in the period, tipping a shot in from close range to give Ottawa a 2-1 lead.

Goaltending Duel

Jacob Fowler, making his first start since January 15th after being recalled from Laval of the American Hockey League, proved pivotal for the Canadiens with his 32 saves. Linus Ullmark stopped 20 shots for the Senators.

Team Records and Upcoming Schedule

With the win, the Montreal Canadiens improve to 36-18-10. The Ottawa Senators fall to 32-23-9.

Up Next:

• Senators: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.
• Canadiens: Host the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

Additional Notes

Jake Evans of the Canadiens played in his 400th NHL game on Wednesday and is currently on a five-game point streak (three goals, three assists). The Senators were without Jake Sanderson, with Artem Zub stepping up to deliver a solid performance.