The Montreal Canadiens headed to the Canadian Tire Centre to solidify their perch atop the Atlantic Division. Separated by just a single point from the Ottawa Senators with the top spot still on the line, coach Claude Julien shook up his defence pairings. Nathan Beaulieu drew back into the lineup, while Alexei Emelin was made a healthy scratch.
The opening period was a fast and chippy affair, with the Canadiens quickly finding their feet early on. Despite the recent history of bad blood between the two clubs, the referees saw fit to let both teams play it out.