OTT@MTL: The Canadiens strike first

MONTREAL - Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin were dominant in the first of three games for the Canadiens against the Ottawa Senators in a 12-day span.

The Canadiens were a force offensively on Tuesday night, especially in the second period.
After heading to the dressing room with a 1-0 lead, Claude Julien's contingent watched the Senators respond in the middle frame.
But, the Habs exploded to close the period with a 4-1 lead, before going on to secure a 5-2 victory.
It was exactly the type of performance the Canadiens were hoping for, according to assistant captain Brendan Gallagher.
"We wanted to get off to a good start and keep the rhythm going for 60 minutes. We've played against Craig Anderson enough to know just how good he is and that he's tough to beat if we don't put enough pucks on net. We did that tonight," explained Gallagher, who capped the scoring in the third period, snapping a four-game goal drought. "We weren't perfect, but it was a good effort. Now, we have to move on because we're playing them again and it will tough in their building."

Domi and Drouin, in particular, enjoyed their performance, picking up three points each.
As per usual, Domi wasn't about to discuss his own game, focusing instead on the success of the group as a whole.
"I think we played exactly the way we wanted to. Our objective was to set the tone of the game and that's what we did," said Domi, who scored two goals and collected one assist.
Domi also praised Drouin's work versus Ottawa.
"He's so good. Honestly, it's easy to play with him. He's just incredible and the talent he has with the puck is among the best in the League. We're lucky to have him," said Domi, who has 30 points in just 28 games so far this season, a first on the Habs since Shayne Corson in 1997.

For his part, Drouin had a solid end to the second period, assisting on both of Domi's goals.
"That was big, especially at the end of the period. I think that's what we need to do. We have to keep attacking and create scoring chances. These are important games. We wanted to set the tone for the series," mentioned Drouin.

Drouin chips in offensively
With three points on Tuesday night, Drouin now has five points in his last three games.
In Julien's eyes, the line as a whole has been excellent.
"To win big games like these, it takes your best players to have success," explained the Habs' bench boss.
Nevertheless, Julien went on to add that the Sainte-Agathe native is still young and there's still room for improvement.
"We've seen Jonathan in the NHL for a number of years now. Last season, he realized just how tough it is to play in Montreal," said Julien. "He really took himself in hand this summer and came in with the right attitude."

The Canadiens and Senators will do battle again at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday night in Kanata.