The Toronto Maple Leafs got the better of the Ottawa Senators on Friday in the preseason game, with the Queen City team winning that battle of Ontario 6-3 at CAA Arena in Belleville.
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The fight for a position on the last two lines of the Leafs will be thrilling in the coming week. Denis Malgin and Nicholas Robertson presented their arguments by both collecting their third goal of the preseason calendar.
The second was the Torontonians’ best player with three points, including a pair of nets. Quebecer Nicolas Aubé-Kubel and former Montreal Canadiens Victor Mete also distinguished themselves by scoring.
Parker Kelly, Drake Batherson and Angus Crookshank got the hits for the Senators, who won just one of their four exhibition games. Four games against the Habs now await them from Saturday.
The Canadian will also cross swords with the Maple Leafs on Monday.
The Predators go wild
In Nashville, Matt Duchene scored no fewer than five points in the Predators’ 7-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The “Preds” were playing their fourth and last exhibition meeting before the 2022-2023 season since they will travel to Europe to face the San Jose Sharks twice at the opening of the regular calendar, in Prague, Czechia. Meanwhile, next Monday, the team will face SC Bern in a friendly match.
The Predators once again dominated the Lightning, 24 hours after beating them 2-0, also in Nashville. Juuse Saros spent the entire game in net, making 27 saves.
It was less convincing for Hugo Alnefelt on the visitors’ side. The Swedish keeper also received 28 shots, but allowed seven goals. Duchene and Tanner Jeannot beat him twice each, with the latter scoring on the power play each time.
Besides Duchene (five points) and Jeannot (four points), Filip Forsberg also contributed with three assists. Zach Sanford, Colton Sissons and Alexandre Carrier were the other scorers for the home side, while Brandon Hagel replied for the ‘Bolts’.