Cole Caufield’s tying and overtime goals lifted the Canadiens past the Senators in the annual Kraft Hockeyville game in Trois Rivières.
The Senators opened their abbreviated preseason schedule with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Monday night’s Kraft Hockeyville game in Trois-Rivières, Que.
Cole Caufield scored twice for Montreal, tying the game midway through the third period before delivering the dagger in overtime.
The crowd inside Colisée Vidéotron was firmly behind the Canadiens, but the Senators briefly took the wind out of their sails in the early moments.
Newcomer William Eklund wasted no time endearing himself to Sens Nation, scoring just 89 seconds into his first preseason appearance with the Sens. Eklund fed the puck to Dylan Cozens, who sprinted behind the net and then slipped a gorgeous feed back to Eklund, who finished the play to give the Senators an early 1-0 lead.
But Montreal completely controlled the rest of the period, responding three minutes later when defenseman Jayden Struble beat Samuel Ersson with a low short-side shot to tie the game.
The score remained deadlocked until late in the second period, when Cozens went from setup man to scorer. His first of the preseason restored the Sens' lead and capped a two-point night for the Workhorse.
The Senators carried that 2-1 advantage into the third period, until Caufield went to work. His tying goal was a harmless-looking shot along the ice, but it somehow eluded Sens goalie Samuel Ersson, who may have been anticipating a cross-crease pass instead.
Caufield's game-winning goal came on a hard, low wrist shot under the stick of Ridly Greig and past Ersson.
Both teams dressed fairly strong NHL lineups, but the game was filled with glitchy moments, which is standard for a preseason opener. That was particularly evident on special teams.
Montreal finished 1-for-6 on the power play, while Ottawa went 0-for-4.
The Habs controlled much of the play on the night, outshooting the Sens 36-20. Ersson went the distance in his first appearance and turned aside 33 shots, and Travis Green told reporters after the game that he was the Sens' best player on the night.
The Senators will be back in action Wednesday night with a pair of split-squad games against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Most of the Sens' top players are expected to remain at home to face Toronto at Canadian Tire Centre, while the rest of the group will visit the Maple Leafs. Both games begin at 7 p.m.
The Sens will then get another go at the Habs when the teams close out their preseason schedules Saturday night. That will also be a split-squad arrangement, with games taking place simultaneously in Ottawa and Montreal at 7 p.m.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
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