SENATORS (1-2-1) at CANADIENS (2-1-1)

TV — CBC (HD); RDS (HD)

Season series — The Northeast Division rivals are meeting for the first time this season. The Senators dominated last season, winning five of six, including all three games at Montreal. In all, the Senators have won seven of the last eight meetings.

Big story — After getting into the win column by beating Carolina 3-2 on Thursday night, the Senators will be trying for two in a row. The Canadiens are looking for their first home victory, but played an excellent positional game Friday night as they won 2-1 in Buffalo.

Team Scope:

Senators — Ottawa got its first victory of the season by beating Carolina on Thursday, but the win came with a price: Oft-injured goaltender Pascal Leclaire got hurt again. Leclaire, who started the Senators' first four games, left after pulling his groin on the first save he made and didn't return. Leclaire didn't make the two-game trip to Montreal and Pittsburgh, where they play Monday. He'll be re-evaluated next week.

"We'll wait until early next week before we know if it's a long-term thing," said coach Cory Clouston, who on Thursday had called Leclaire "our best player overall" during the Senators' first three games of the season.

Canadiens — After allowing 48 shots in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to Tampa Bay, the Canadiens made their coach happy by tightening the defence two nights later in Buffalo. Montreal allowed only 22 shots in the 2-1 victory against the Sabres and held Buffalo without a shot in the final 3:48.

"The last two games, I wasn't pleased with how we played away from the puck," Canadiens coach Jacques Martin said. "I didn't think we had the commitment, and our intensity needed to be better. Tonight we stayed out of the penalty box, rolled four lines, and I thought that was a big difference."

Who's hot — Mike Fisher had his first two goals of the season, including the game-winner, in Ottawa's victory against Carolina.

Injury report — In addition to Leclaire, Ottawa is still without defenceman Filip Kuba, who's still sidelined due to a broken leg sustained on the first day of training camp. Captain Daniel Alfredsson and defenceman Sergei Gonchar both got the day off from practice Friday, but Clouston says they'll be good to go against the Canadiens. … Montreal blueliner Andrei Markov, out since undergoing knee surgery last spring, could make his season debut against the Senators.

Puck drop — Leclaire, who missed much of last season with injuries, is clearly frustrated by his latest malady.

"It is frustrating," he told the team's website. "It's almost like every year, I've got a little something (hurt). Especially last year, with the bad luck I had. Hopefully, it's not going to be too bad. We'll see."

Brian Elliott makes the start tonight, with Robin Lehner called up from the American Hockey League's Binghamton Senators to dress as the backup.