It was the perfect way for the Ottawa Senators to get ready for the start of training camp.
The Senators rookies closed out the portion for newcomers Monday with a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at the club’s practice facility in Brossard, Que.
Led by a two-goal effort from winger Egor Sokolov, along with goals from Shane Pinto and Lassi Thomson, the Senators closed out this two-game series against the Habs with a 2-0 record. Ottawa scored a 4-3 victory over Montreal at the Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday, too.
Of the 24 players in this camp, approximately 15 or 16 will be invited to attend the club’s main camp. General manager Pierre Dorion, coach D.J. Smith, assistant Peter MacTavish, chief Trent Mann, senior VP Pierre McGuire and the rest of the staff will make those decisions Tuesday morning.
Trying to turn heads, Sokolov, who wasn’t very good Saturday, turned it up a notch in this one. He was all over the place and making his presence felt. That’s what he has to do if he’s going to have any chance of starting this season with the Senators and he’ll have to be even better in the pre-season.
Sokolov fired a bullet home to give the club a 2-0 lead late in the second.
“I thought it was a better game for me than the last time,” Sokolov said. “We hadn’t played a game in four months and we were a little nervous and we had 1,000 fans in the stands and we hadn’t seen a fan (in 18 months). We won this game and it was a pretty good pace.”
Sokolov went in Sunday and met with assistant Ben Sexton to go over his shifts from Saturday. Guess he didn’t like what he saw because he sure played better.
“He wasn’t upset with his game but he knew that he could play better,” Senators coach Troy Mann said. “He’s been very dominant throughout the developmental and rookie camp, but I thought he was just excellent tonight and that line was our best.”
This wasn’t an easy win. The Senators were up 4-0 after the two periods with Kevin Mandolese in the net. Then, youngster Leevi Merilainen took over in the third and he was busy as the Habs picked up the pace to pull within a goal in the final couple of minutes.
OFF THE GLASS
The Senators may have suffered a big blow in this one.
Forward Angus Crookshank, who suited up with Belleville last season, had to be helped off the ice by his teammates in the second period after taking a hit along the boards from Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj.
And, it could be devastating for Crookshank.
“We’ll know a lot more when we get back to Ottawa, but it looks like it could be significant and a little bit of a longer-term injury,” Mann said. “We’ll get him to see our team doctors in Ottawa and we’ll probably have a further update in the next couple of days.”
Wearing the captain’s ‘C’, centre Mark Kastelic dropped the gloves with Xhekaj. Earlier, Xhekaj had gotten into it with Sokolov after he gave the club a 2-0 lead late in the first. Crookshank wasn’t able to put any weight on his left leg as he was helped to the dressing room by Pinto and Sokolov.
Sokolov said he didn’t like getting hit after scoring a goal.
“I knew I scored a goal but I didn’t expect the guy to hit me,” Sokolov said. “It’s scary stuff, if I had relaxed for a second and I didn’t like that. It’s something you shouldn’t do. I had scored the goal already, you should let it go. I was trying to spin off and go to the bench and I got hit on the side of my head.
“Sometimes when you cross the line I’ve got to step up for myself. I was doing that the whole game today because it was a scrappy game.”
THE LAST WORDS
The decision to bring Tyler Ennis back on a professional tryout is a good one. If he has an impressive camp and signs a contract, then it means the club can get more time to youngsters like Sokolov No, this doesn’t mean Sokolov won’t get a chance to show he deserves to play here in camp, but the club isn’t in the mood to rush him into the NHL either. Ennis, 31, played for Smith in Toronto and he was behind the bench when he suited up for 61 games here during the 2019-20 campaign. Ennis was on pace for 20 goals when he was dealt to the Oilers for a fifth-round pick. You’d have to think he’ll earn a deal … The club decided to leave defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker at home for this one against the Habs. He’ll be part of the club’s main camp and is expected to play exhibition games. The Senators staff didn’t need to evaluate where they were at during this camp but wanted to give them the opportunity to get ready … Former Ottawa defenceman Cody Goloubef, who spent part of last season with Belleville, has accepted a PTO for camp with the Habs. He’ll be a good veteran for the Laval Rocket … Pinto wasn’t supposed to play but the club decided to hold Phillipe Daoust out after he took a big hit Saturday.
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