"It was a good decision by him."

NOTES: Senators center Jason Spezza skated Monday morning, the first time he has been on ice since undergoing back surgery Feb. 1. The NHL's fourth leading scorer last season remains on target for a mid-to-late March return. ... Also making an appearance before the team's morning skate was Anderson, who suffered an ankle sprain Feb. 21. "He went on the ice, but he didn't skate," MacLean said. "It was more just a test than anything." At the time of his injury, Anderson was expected to miss two or three games. ... The Canadiens were in first place on Feb. 25 for the first time since 1993, when they went on to win the Stanley Cup. ... The game was the 500th for defenseman Francis Bouillon in a Canadiens jersey. ... All four of Montreal's regulation defeats have come against Northeast Division rivals. ... Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson entered the game with 420 career goals. The rest of the Ottawa lineup had a combined 524.