Ottawa, Ontario (My Sportsbook) - The Montreal Canadiens seek their fourth consecutive victory tonight when they visit the Ottawa Senators, who are unbeaten in four straight, at the Corel Centre.

Montreal is fresh off a home-and-home sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins, having won both games in overtime. On Wednesday night in the Steel City it was Andrei Markov playing the hero, as he scored the game-winner 2:25 into the extra period. Yanic Perreault and Richard Zednik scored for Montreal during a 38- second span in the middle frame, while goaltender Jeff Hackett turned aside 23 shots in place of the injured Jose Theodore.

Theodore sat with a hip flexor injury suffered on Monday, and Hackett is expected to receive the nod again tonight. The latter player is 5-1-2 with a 2.41 goals-against average and .931 save-percentage in nine appearances.

Montreal, 5-2-0 in its last seven games overall, caps off a brief trip tonight and will return home to face Carolina on Saturday. The Habs are 4-2-1 on the road this season.

Ottawa, which is 3-0-1 in its last four games, is coming off Tuesday's 4-4 tie with the Hurricanes in Raleigh. Radek Bonk scored with 6:15 remaining in the third period to lift the Sens to the deadlock, and move them to 5-2-1 in the last eight games overall.

Jason Spezza, Martin Havlat and Marian Hossa joined Bonk in the goal-scoring column for Ottawa. Spezza, the second-overall selection in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, netted his third goal overall and first at even strength.

Hossa, meanwhile, extended his points streak to seven games, having contributed six goals and five assists in that time. His seven power-play markers lead the NHL thus far.

But the true savior for Ottawa was goaltender Patrick Lalime, who made 37 saves on the night as Carolina outshot Ottawa by a 41-36 margin and enjoyed the luxury of nine power plays. Lalime, who moved to 7-6-2, was especially tested from the second period onward, facing 34 shots in that time -- including four in the extra period. His sprawling save in close on the Canes' Jan Hlavac preserved the tie in OT.

The Senators, 5-3-0 on home ice, begin a three-game Corel Centre set this evening. The stand will continue Saturday versus Columbus, and conclude two nights later against rival Toronto.

Montreal defeated Ottawa, 5-3, at the Bell Centre on October 26, backed by a 45-save effort from Hackett. The Canadiens have won three straight meetings and are 4-1-1 in the last six overall.

The Habs have emerged victorious in two straight trips to Ottawa.