Earlier than I start, I wish to share two ideas I had whereas going into the preseason sport between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators. The primary is {that a} staff typically attire their finest gamers within the preseason in entrance of a hometown crowd. In distinction, the staff on the street often attire their younger prospects and gamers combating for a spot within the lineup, particularly when the groups play a home-and-home.
Normally, the staff with the much less proficient roster wins the sport. The sport means way more to the gamers who’re in peril of not making the staff.
So, I used to be not stunned by how this sport began or the ultimate rating.
The Good
William Nylander made what on the time was the play of the sport when he skated by way of three Ottawa gamers to get the puck into the Senators’ zone earlier than dishing it off to Max Pacioretty and heading to the entrance of the web. As soon as he acquired the puck again from Pacioretty, Nylander tried, however failed, to stuff it below Ottawa goalie Mads Sogaard. Then he gathered the rebound and roofed it into the web with 22 seconds left within the third interval. Matt Murray pulled for an additional attacker. Sadly for the Maple Leafs, it turned out to be the second prettiest purpose of the sport.
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After getting outshot and poorly outplayed within the first interval, Toronto outshot the Senators 24-5 within the third interval and outscored them 4-2.
Max Pacioretty Can Nonetheless Play
Max Pacioretty can nonetheless play hockey at 36. He scored two objectives and added an help for 3 factors, following two Achilles accidents. He was second on the staff with six photographs on the web. John Tavares notched three assists, taking part in on the identical line as Pacioretty. Chris Tanev had two assists. Morgan Rielly completed the sport with +3 in plus/minus.
Nylander led the staff with seven photographs on the web. He added an help on Auston Matthews‘ energy play purpose to go along with his spotlight reel, game-tying purpose, within the final minute of the third interval.
Nikita Grebenkin didn’t determine in on the scoring however had a team-high 4 hits and wasn’t shy about dropping the gloves with former Maple Leaf Adam Gaudette. Grebenkin performed to the gang on his solution to the penalty field.
Early within the third interval, with the rating tied 3-3 and the Maple Leafs urgent, Grebenkin created a turnover simply outdoors the Ottawa zone when he hit 6-foot-4 and 240-pound Zach MacEwen into the boards whereas on the similar time corralling the unfastened puck. Grebenkin obtained the puck deep into the Senators zone, acquired a cross again from Ryan Reaves, and dished it off to an open Jake Mccabe on the level. McCabes’ shot was stopped by Sogaard, however the play gave us a pattern of the kind of sport Grebenkin performs.
The Dangerous
Toronto was awarded only one shot on web on the finish of the primary interval. That was modified to 2 throughout the intermission. It couldn’t have been a lot of a shot if it took them that lengthy to search out the second shot. The photographs within the first interval have been 15-2 for the Senators, with eight of the Ottawa photographs approaching the facility play. The Senators led 1-0 after one and 3-0 after two intervals.
After taking the lead 4-3 at 5:28 of the third interval, Toronto promptly gave up the game-tying 4-4 purpose 18 seconds later.
The McCabe – Oliver Ekman Larsson pair didn’t have a superb night time. McCabe was minus-4 within the sport, and OEL was minus-2. OEL was responsible of a few giveaways within the Toronto zone. Timothy Liljegren was responsible of a foul pinch early within the sport that gave the Senators a two-on-one and was additionally responsible of coughing up the puck within the Maple Leafs’ zone that ended up in one other Ottawa scoring likelihood.
Neither Joseph Woll nor Matt Murray carried out effectively for the Maple Leafs. Woll allowed three objectives on 23 photographs to put up a 0.870 SV% and a 5.72 GAA in 31:45. Murray allowed three objectives on simply 11 photographs to finish up with a 0.770 SV% and a 6.16 GAA in 29:21 of play. It’s price noting that coaching camps will not be often appropriate for goalies.
The Ugly
The Ugly for the Maple Leafs was the prettiest purpose of the night time for Senators followers. Rookie defenseman 19-year-old Carter Yakemchuk skated from behind his personal web previous Matthews and thru McCabe and Mitch Marner earlier than going forehand to backhand to beat a sprawling Murray at 2:37 of time beyond regulation to offer the Senators the win.
What’s Subsequent for the Maple Leafs?
The 2 groups return to Ottawa for a rematch Tuesday night time. I might anticipate the roles to be reversed on this sport, with the Senators placing out their finest gamers and the Maple Leafs countering with these combating for a spot on the roster. I anticipate Anthony Stolarz to be one of many goalies. Will probably be fascinating to see who the opposite Toronto goalie is.
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