Carter Yakemchuk scores OT winner as Senators open pre-season with a win over Maple Leafs

Published Sep 22, 2024  •  Last updated 6 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Wolf makes a save against Ottawa Senators’ Adam Gaudette during first period during a pre-season game action in Toronto last night. Photo by Paige Taylor White /The Canadian press

 SENATORS 6, LEAFS 5

No better stage than the Battle of Ontario to kick off the pre-season.

The Ottawa Senators decided to give their depth players a chance and they didn’t disappoint as first-round overall selection Carter Yakemchuk scored the winner in overtime as the Senators scored a 6-5 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday night at Scotiabank Arena.

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Yakemchuk skated by two Leafs and beat Toronto goalie Matt Murray by showing poise and incredible effort at 2:35 of overtime.

You can’t put a whole lot of weight into exhibition games but anyone watching had to be impressed Yakemchuk, the club’s No. 7 overall selection in last June’s draft because he looked good.

Facing a Toronto lineup that featured big guns Auston Matthews, Michael Nylander and Mitch Marner, the Senators were led by a four-point nights from depth forwards Jan Jenik and Cole Reinhardt along with goals from Adam Gaudette and Donovan Sebrango.

Goaltender Mads Sogaard made the necessary stops, but he wasn’t at his best. Still, he made enough saves to allow head coach Travis Green enjoy his debut behind the Ottawa bench after being hired on May 7.

Reinhardt’s second of the night should have been the winner but Nylander tied it up at 19:39 of the third to send it to overtime. You could see that one coming as the Senators were outshot 24-5 in the third.

The third was a rollercoaster ride as the Senators allowed the Leafs to pull out to a 4-3 lead on Max Pacioretty’s second of the night, only to have Sebrango tie it up by beating Toronto’s Matt Murray at 5:46 to tie.

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Matthews and Max Pacioretty scored 42 seconds apart in third to erase a two-goal deficit to tie it up 3-3 at 3:20. Sogaard didn’t have a chance on either goal but Pacioretty’s second of the night was ugly.

Goals by Gaudette and Reinhardt in a span of 2:31 in the second period gave the Senators a 3-1 advantage heading to the third. The shots were 26-11 for Ottawa through 40 minutes.

Gaudette took a feed from Jenik to fire it home at 11:45 and Reinhardt showed good perseverance beating Joseph Woll just before left the net.

Matthew Knies tied it up 1-1 on a feed from Marner at 7:26 of the second.

Give Belleville defenceman Donovan Sebrango credit. He hit Ryan Reaves from behind early in the second and had to drop the gloves. It didn’t amount to much, but Sebrango was a willing combatant.

This may have been an exhibition game, but Woll had to be in mid-season form. The Senators outshot the Leafs 14-1 in the first 20 minutes, but only held a 1-0 lead.

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Jenik, acquired from Utah in early July, opened the scoring at 6:10 of the first by firing it by Woll on the blocker side after taking a nice feed from Zack MacEwen. Jenik showed good poise and is trying to show he can be a good depth piece for Ottawa.

After spending most of last season with Tucson, Jenik has suited up for 22 games in his NHL career. He played parts of two seasons for Staios with the Ontario Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs and has a two-way deal, but certainly put himself on the radar screen.

You can’t put a whole lot of weight into exhibition games but anyone watching had to be impressed Yakemchuk, the club’s No. 7 overall selection in last June’s draft because he looked good.

Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, has some decisions to make with 56 players still in camp, which means some players could be sent packing as early as Monday.

This was the first of seven pre-season games for the Senators, who will host the Leafs Tuesday at the Canadian Tire Centre at 7 p.m.

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