The Senators’ preseason home opener had the right ingredients for a good night - a home crowd, a stronger split-squad group, and a Toronto team without its biggest names in Ottawa. None of it mattered once the Leafs’ job hunters turned Canadian Tire Centre into their own showcase.
Toronto skated away with a 4-2 win Wednesday night, capping a clean sweep of the evening for the Maple Leafs. While Ottawa’s home side fell in a tight game, Toronto’s other group handled the Senators’ road squad 6-1 across town at Scotiabank Arena.
This one stayed close until the end. Ryan Tverberg snapped a 2-2 tie with less than five minutes left, and Teddy Blueger finished it off with an empty-net goal.
Ottawa struck first after a scoreless opening period. At 3:51 of the second, Henrik Rybinski buried a power-play rebound at the side of the net. The goal was originally waved away because it appeared the puck had hit the crossbar and stayed out, but replay showed it had crossed the line.
The lead didn’t last long. Less than three minutes later, Dylan Cozens jumped on the puck after taking it away from Leafs defenceman Blake Smith and beat Anthony Stolarz with a wrist shot to level the score.
Toronto grabbed the advantage again midway through the third when Steven Lorentz tipped a Marshall Rifai shot past Linus Ullmark.
Ottawa answered 41 seconds later. Hoyt Stanley collected a loose puck, worked it to his backhand and beat Stolarz to make it 2-2.
Stanley, the Senators’ top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, showed off plenty of patience on the play. That selection came in the fourth round after Ottawa had traded away its first three picks, but the goal still stood out and won’t hurt his standing with the team’s evaluators.
The Senators have one more split-squad night coming Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens, with simultaneous games in Ottawa and Montreal at 7 p.m. It will be their preseason finale before the regular season begins Oct. 3.
In Other News...
Senators Blue Line Suddenly Has An Opening Night Concern
The Senators are still sorting through their defense as they head into the second night of preseason action, and the timing is not ideal with the club splitting into two groups for simultaneous games against Montreal. Ottawa has been using these exhibition looks to evaluate players and defensive combinations, but the blue line has already been forced to absorb some early absences while the coaching staff keeps a close eye on who can handle more responsibility.
Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub both remain unavailable, leaving a noticeable hole in the mix on a unit that is trying to get settled before the games start counting. Travis Green has said Sandersons issue is minor, which offers some reassurance, but the bigger question for Ottawa is how long this patchwork situation lasts and what it means for the opening night picture if the defense does not get whole again soon. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Just Forced A Bigger Question About Leevi Merilainen
A rough night in Toronto has already pushed Leevi Merilainen into a familiar but far less comfortable kind of NHL conversation. The Senators placed the young goaltender on waivers after a difficult recent outing, a move that underlined just how quickly the depth chart can change when a backup or developmental netminder starts to wobble. Ottawa has seen enough volatility in goal to know these decisions can carry real weight, especially with a player still trying to establish himself.
If Merilainen clears, the next stop would be Belleville in the American Hockey League, which would mark the first time in his career he has needed waivers to get there. That detail matters for Ottawa because it turns a routine roster shuffle into a bigger question about where he stands in the organizations long-term plans, and how much patience the club still has as it tries to sort out its goaltending picture. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Blue Line Absences Just Opened A Real Preseason Opportunity
Ottawas preseason work has taken on a different look early in camp, with the Senators splitting NHL and AHL groups while several of their top defensemen are out. That has opened the door for younger players and fringe contenders to get more meaningful reps than they might otherwise see in September, especially on a blue line that is temporarily thinner than usual.
In that setting, one of the more notable moments came against Toronto, where Hoyt Stanley made his presence felt by jumping into the offensive zone and finishing a goal. For a team trying to sort out its depth on defense, those kinds of plays matter, because every practice shift can help shape who gets a longer look when the roster starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]