1. One defense pair might not last long
The Senators' defense wasn't great against the Canadiens, especially in the third period when the Canadiens recorded 15 shots on goal. Having to play defense for majority of the third period doesn't give any team much of a chance to win.
Nic Jensen and Thomas Chabot each had a -2 rating, but one defense pair is becoming a huge concern for the Senators. That is the defense pair of Travis Hamonic and Tyler Kleven.
On the first goal the Senators allowed which cam on a powerplay, Hamonic and Kleven left Emil Heineman all alone in front of the net to put the Canadiens on the board first.
LE TOUT 1ER BUT D'HEINEMAN
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 12, 2024
HEINEMAN'S FIRST NHL GOAL#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/SkG9flSIC1
Early in the second period, Hamonic had the puck in the Ottawa end and lost his balanced and turned over the puck. Luckily the Canadiens didn't score off the turnover, but Hamonic gave the Canadiens a golden opportunity to score.
Head coach Travis Green couldn't trust Hamonic and Kleven and limited their ice time. Hamonic played just over 12 minutes and Kleven played under 11 minutes. If one defense pair is going to get broken up, the pair of Hamonic and Kleven might be the option for Green.
The Senators will return home to Canadian Tire Centre for the next three games. The first of three home games is on Monday afternoon against the Los Angeles Kings with puck drop scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. The Kings are coming off of a 2-1 overtime loss today against the Boston Bruins, and are 1-0-1 on the season. The Kings won both games against the Senators last season.