Some Canadian players regained good sensations Wednesday evening at the Bell Center.
Three players who finished the last campaign on the sidelines moved the ropes, Juraj Slafkovsky, Sean Monahan and Cole Caufield, and the Montreal hockey club defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-3 in a preparatory game.
Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach had good moments offensively, particularly early in the game. Slafkovsky had numerous scoring chances and found the back of the net after a good effort from his linemate.
The trio of Nick Suzuki, Caufield and Monahan was also threatening offensively for the Habs. Monahan and Caufield scored in the third period.
Brandon Gignac also scored for the Canadian.
Defenseman Mike Matheson was scheduled to play his first preseason game, but he was ultimately replaced by Kaiden Guhle. A Habs spokesperson indicated that Matheson had been removed from training “as a preventative measure”, without offering further details.
Slafkovsky and Guhle are the only two Canadiens players to have participated in the team’s first two preseason games.
In both cases, their performance was much better than Monday, against the New Jersey Devils.
Jake Allen allowed two goals on 12 shots in 30:15 of play. Cayden Primeau took over and made 16 saves.
Mathieu Joseph scored twice for the Senators and was the best player for the national capital club. Dominik Kubalik also scored, while Joonas Korpisalo stopped 17 shots.
The match was punctuated by numerous penalties. The Canadian took advantage of one of his six power play opportunities, while the Senators were 1-for-8.
The Canadian will continue their preparation by hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre, Friday and Saturday.
A tough match
The game was lively from the first sequence. Nick Suzuki was brought down by Mark Kastelic, then Monahan and Caufield had scoring chances.
The Canadian opened the scoring 6:27 into the game. Gignac deflected Jared Davidson’s shot with his leg and Korpisalo was unable to stop the puck as he collided with teammate Travis Hamonic .
Slafkovsky doubled the Habs’ lead with 6:16 left in the first period. Dach and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard joined forces to cancel a zone exit by the Senators. Dach then joined William Trudeau in the enclave. Trudeau juggled the puck, which deflected off a Senators player. Slafkovsky was in the right place at the right time and he beat Korpisalo.
The game remained intense in the second period and the Senators turned the tide by scoring three times.
Kubalik started the surge by scoring on the power play at 2:45, following a cross-ice pass from Jiri Smejkal.
Joseph tied the game at 7:12, when the teams were playing four on four. He crossed the ice, then surprised Allen with a high shot.
The Quebec striker returned to the charge at 14:53, once again four against four. Around the same place, he beat Primeau by aiming at the shield side.
Monahan made it 3-3 at 5:36 of the final period. He benefited from a generous return from Korpisalo after a good shot from Caufield on a sequence started by Suzuki.
Caufield then gave the Canadian the lead during a power play, with 8:17 left in regulation. His shot eluded Korpisalo and slipped behind the goal line.
The Canadian managed to close the door afterwards.