Chychrun scores twice, Sens beat Leafs in OT

TORONTO – Jakob Chychrun scored his second goal of the night at 3:48 of overtime as the Ottawa Senators beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 pre-season action Monday.

Dominik Kubalik and Roby Jarventie, with a goal and an assist each, also scored for Ottawa.

Mads Sogaard made 37 of 40 saves.

Rookie forward Easton Cowan, with a goal and an assist, Mitch Marner and Joseph Blandisi replied for Toronto.

Joseph Woll — expected to start the regular schedule as No. 1 goaltender Ilya Samsonov’s backup — played the first half of the game for Toronto, stopping 19-of-22 shots before giving way to Martin Jones. The veteran netminder finished with 19 saves.

Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi, who signed a one-year deal worth US$5.5-million in unrestricted free agency this summer, got his first shot onToronto top-line with Marner and Auston Matthews.

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Toronto enforcer Ryan Reaves and defenceman John Klingberg were the other off-season additions suiting up in blue and white for the first time.

The Senators, meanwhile, got their first looks at a pair of summer acquisitions up front in Kubalik and Vladimir Tarasenko.

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Down 3-2 late in the third period, Toronto in the dying seconds of regulation when Marner kicked the puck up to his stick from in close on a power play with Jones on the bench for an extra attacker.

Chychrun then added a back-and-forth extra period off a Ridly Greig rebound on a 2-on-1.

Ottawa, which defeated the Leafs 3-2 in the nation’s capital in Sunday afternoon’s exhibition opener that saw both teams dress almost entirely different lineups, got on the board just 76 seconds into the first when Jarventie took advantage of a turnover.

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Cowan was stopped on a penalty shot — his first effort on goal as a professional — by Sogaard before Ottawa made it 2-0 when Kubalik, who was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings in the Alex DeBrincat trade, tipped home a point shot.

The 28th pick at June’s NHL draft, Cowan then found the range on a power play to make it 2-1.

Chychrun responded on an Ottawa man advantage to restore the visitors’ two-goal advantage, but Blandisi got that one right back 17 seconds later.

Matthews, Marner and Bertuzzi started to buzz around the offensive zone in the second, but Sogaard was there to deny a couple of decent chances.

Toronto got a power play five minutes into the third when Reaves took a high stick from Chychrun, but couldn’t find the range.

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Cowan had a chance off the rush midway through the third only to be thwarted by Sogaard’s big frame in the Ottawa goal.

The Senators netminder then denied Matthews on a late power play with Jones on the bench before Marner tied it.

FIRST LOOK

Cowan’s night also included being part of Toronto’s starting lineup. The 18-year-old from Mount Brydges, Ont., won the opening draw.

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SONG CHOICE

A polarizing debate among their fans, the Leafs’ goal song “You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates remained on the playlist for Toronto’s first home game of the pre-season.

SETTLING IN

Tarasenko is taking part in his first NHL training camp as a member of a team other than the St. Louis Blues. The 16th pick at the 2010 draft played 11 seasons in Missouri before getting traded to the New York Rangers in February. “Everybody’s been very nice and friendly,” the 31-year-old told reporters in Ottawa over the weekend. “It’s been very smooth. My teammates help me a lot.”

UP NEXT

Leafs: Host the Buffalo Sabres in St. Thomas, Ont., on Wednesday.

Senators: Visit the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2023.

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