Senators' projected lineup choice sends a clear message to the Canadiens

We expect a real physical game, in line with the recent clashes between these two Atlantic rivals. The Canadiens have scored 21 goals in their last five games against Ottawa, winning four of those meetings.

Everyone still remembers the moment Cousins slashed Demidov.

We also haven't forgotten how Arber Xhekaj silenced Kurtis MacDermid in their last matchup.

In the Senators' projected lineup, Brady Tkachuk is once again with Tim Stutzle and Fabian Zetterlund, while Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson complete a top-six capable of doing damage. Further down, it's the famous dilemma: Nick Cousins or Kurtis MacDermid to the left of Lars Eller and Ridly Greig.

Cousins, 32, is returning from a shortened season but has already found his form with 4 goals, 6 points, and 31 penalty minutes in 23 games this year. For a fourth-line forward paid $825,000 for the season, his "little pest" style is exactly what Ottawa is looking for in that role.

Facing them, Arber Xhekaj arrives in this game with the perfect profile to respond. The 24-year-old defenseman is coming off a 2024-25 campaign of 70 games, 6 points, and above all, 118 penalty minutes, which made him one of the most penalized players on the team. And let's remember that he has just signed a two-season contract worth $2.6 million, or $1.3 million per year, a great sign of confidence from Kent Hughes.

We got to see the Senators' lineup and everything seems to show that Nick Cousins will not be in the game tonight.

Tonight, Martin St-Louis should have all his big guys available on defense. Jayden Struble was back on the ice in Brossard, and should hopefully be in the lineup, but Xhekaj and Adam Engstrom are scheduled for the warm-up, and we can easily imagine both Xhekaj brothers in uniform in front of the fans.

It remains to be seen whether the Senators will fully embrace this style by sending MacDermid into the fray, or if they prefer to keep Cousins in the stands despite his new contract.