The Toronto Maple Leafs travelled to Ottawa for their third last pre-season game, bringing along just a few NHL veterans, leaving the likes of Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares at home making Alex Kerfoot the number one centre tonight.

Preseason Preview Game 4 — Back to Ottawa

Travis Dermott was a late scratch tonight, so Noel Hofenmayer gets into his first game wearing the Maple Leafs jersey. Hofenmayer played his junior career with the Ottawa 67’s so it’s a nice homecoming for him.

The Leafs go to the penalty box quickly, when Wayne Simmonds is called for a puck over the glass penalty. The penalty kill brushes off the Senators power play easily, getting some chances of their own but no goal from either side.

Colin White left the game early, when he tried to hit David Kampf into the boards and their legs become tangled, White went down awkwardly and left with the trainer favouring his knee.

Halfway through the period, the Maple Leafs lead in shots 5-0, but not a single goal yet. The Leafs are playing well as a team, setting each other up and taking chances as they come; not to mention playing some good defense.

As soon as we enter the second half of the first period, Joseph Duszak gets called for high sticking and the Senators get their second power play of the game.

With thirteen seconds left in the power play the Ottawa Senators get their first shot on net when Tim Stützle is left along to the right of the net and shoots right at Jack Campbell who makes the save. The Leafs PK ends it’s second shift without letting in a goal.

The Senators get a second shot (!) but the Leafs take the puck and get back down to the Senators zone to create some activity, a puck pings off the post but we don’t get a goal and the puck gets cleared. There are some iffy plays by Josh Ho-Sang and Joseph Duszak, thankfully nothing leads to a goal by Ottawa.

I am momentarily distracted when I hear that Andrew Agozzino is playing for the Ottawa Senators. Two of my favourite IceDogs in one game, the pre-season is great!

Anyway, the first period ends tied 0-0 with the Marlies Leafs leading the way as the better of the two teams.

We get some bad news during first intermission:

When the second period begins Josh Brown waits 30 seconds before getting Ottawa their first penalty, being called for holding Ondřej Kaše, giving the Maple Leafs their first power play of the game.

It takes almost the entire penalty, but the Maple Leafs power play sees Duszak, and Ho-Sang pass the puck around until Pierre Engvall is in position to score. Which he does!

1-0 Maple Leafs!

The Senators come right back and try to tie the game, but no. That’s not allowed.

The Leafs continue to play well defensively, but even when the defenders slip up, others come in to protect the lead.

The Leafs get a second power play opportunity when Tim Stützle falls victim to the cross checking crackdown. The power play is eager for another goal, working hard to get to the net, but the Leafs are denied another goal.

One player highlight of the night so far is Nick Robertson, who is running through Senators on his mission to net one. Nothing yet but he will if he keeps playing like this.

The Senators are having a much better period on offense, coming close to tying the Maple Leafs in shots by the end of the second period. Andrew Agozzino comes close to tipping one in, a few others make Jack Campbell sweat a bit, but they can’t get past him until we tick past three minutes remaining when Connor Brown scores with a net front deflection.

Game is all tied up at ones.

Off the face off the Sens come into the Leafs zone, but Justin Holl drags down Josh Norris and gets called for holding. Senators power play number three.

The Senators work hard on this one, getting past the PK a little easier than they did in the first period, but can’t take the lead with the man advantage.

The second period ends with the game all tied up. Twenty more minutes with nothing on the line.

The Senators come out fast at the start of the period, knocking off a few shots before Pierre Engvall interrupts things and tries for a second goal.

After that Duszak and Adam Brooks pair up to try and take advantage of an empty Senators net, but can’t close the deal.

Jason Spezza gets called for Kneeing Shane Pinto, giving the Senators their fourth power play. It didn’t look that bad, but Senators fans had different ideas.

No goal for the Senators though. More penalties are called when Michael Bunting and Josh Brown get into it after Bunting and Zach Sanford collide when Bunting tries to dodge Sandford. Bunting gets the extra minor in the exchange, and on the power play Drake Batherson lets the puck slip by him, leading to a Kaše breakaway to Matt Murray, but Murray makes the save. He has a lot of those saved up after last season.

Drake Batherson starts throwing his weight around the ice, with a hit on Alex Biega that makes Leafs fans tweet with anger at the officials. Wayne Simmonds sees this and gives him a warning to knock it off.

Michael Del Zotto gets called for cross-checking giving the Leafs another power play chance to take the lead.

Wayne Simmonds is still lecturing Batherson and Brown about their play, one will have to pay the price if they keep it up.

No Maple Leafs goal as we get below the five minute mark of the game, but the Leafs get another power play after Agozzino shoves Dahlstrom into Campbell, giving many Leafs fans a small panic attack.

No goal for the Leafs on this power play, but as Agozzino comes out of the box drake Batherson misses the net with a shot, leading to the Leafs turning the tables and taking the offense into the Senators zone, where we see Adam Brooks make a cross crease backhand pass to Mike Amadio who scores the Leafs second goal of the game.

2-1 Maple Leafs with 1:25 left in the game.

The Senators call a timeout, which like offside challenges, should be illegal in the pre-season. The Senators pull the goalie as play resumes, David Kämpf almost gets a breakaway to the empty net but is stopped by Thomas Chabot. A play in the neutral zone sees the puck slowly roll towards the net and Pierre Engvall speeds to it and knocks the puck in with two seconds left.

3-1 Maple Leafs.

There was supposed to be a shootout post-game but the Senators sulk off to their dressing room leaving the Maple Leafs bewildered and standing on the ice.

The Toronto Maple Marlies defeat the Ottawa Senators 3-1 in the third last post-season game.

Awkward exchange of the game:

The next Maple Leafs game is tomorrow night at home against the Montreal Canadiens.

Boy I haven’t seen enough of those guys.

Watch, if you want, on TSN at 7PM.

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