- Michael Andlauer has the Senators in what he wants to turn into their second home of Quebec City. Maybe he’s hoping Maple Leafs fans won’t make that trip in the regular season.
First period
- Martin St-Louis is laughing on the bench ahead of the game. I don’t know if that’s good or bad for those still auditioning for spots.
- The Senators have come out the more energetic team. That’s just the way they play.
- Montreal is finally able to get the puck out of its zone, and the result is two quick scoring chances.
- Ivan Demidov races down the wall to get a zone entry on the next shift, shields the puck and turns back to Mike Matheson. Alex Newhook passes the puck to the top of the crease, and Oliver Kapanen is there to punch it in.
Newhook finds Kapanen out front, 1-0 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) September 30, 2025 at 8:19 PM
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- As good a start for Kapanen in this game as he could ask for.
- Ottawa may play harder, but there’s zero debate about Montreal being the more skilled team, even without the top line.
- Patrik Laine backchecks well to close off a lane on a potential two-on-one. That’s great to see, especially in a pre-season game.
- The Newhook-Kapanen-Demidov is creating a lot of space on the ice. They’re working well together, spreading out and giving several different passing options.
- Florian Xhekaj ends up on top of Jan Jenik after a spirited fight. Again, I don’t think that’s how he’s going to impress St-Louis.
- The puck squeak through Jakub Dobeš on a shot from Cartern Yakenchuk, but Brendan Gallagher is there to clear it away.
- Arber Xhekaj gets hooked, but continues to play the puck, drawing a penalty and keeping the play alive.
- Montreal attempts three drop passes and runs out of players to accept them. The Senators almost have a two-on-zero on Demidov’s giveaway, but Kirby Dach races back to dive and break up the pass.
Second period
- Arber Xhekaj ties up the stick of his man on the way to the net, but the referee dubs that a hook.
- Laine gets the puck in the zone and gives it to Owen Beck steaming through the wide-open slot. Beck opts to pass the puck back to Laine instead of walking in to shoot from 25 feet, and that might be the difference in having Oliver Kapanen win that battle for a roster spot.
- Zachary Bolduc rides Halladay right into the Pacioretty pane at the Senators bench. Luckily the curved glass served its purpose.
- Demidov tees up Laine on a cross-ice on-timer, and that’s automatic.
Demidov to Laine feels like an absolute cheat code
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) September 30, 2025 at 9:15 PM
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- Kapanen just misses out of scoring a third goal, but moments later a perfectly placed shot past his screen from Alexandre Carrier ensures the shift gets rewarded.
Alex Carrier snipes one and it's 3-0 Montreal!
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) September 30, 2025 at 9:21 PM
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- Kapanen is off to the box for hooking. A proper hook as well as he had his stick in David Perron’s hands for about five seconds trying to prevent a scoring chance. Might as well get your two minutes’ worth.
- Perron fans on the breakaway attempt. Maybe he still felt the phantom stick of Kapanen.
- The penalty-killers just outskated those on Ottawa’s power play and created a three-on-two. No shot, but it was still effective at burning several seconds.
- Hutson pulls off one his trademark fakes at the blue line, and it’s an instant man advantage lower in the zone. He goes in for a shot, Bolduc gets another, but the puck refuses to go in.
- The pegs might be a little too flimsy at Centre Vidéotron. Dobeš knocked off the net for about the third time tonight just trying to get to his post.
- Hayden Hodgson runs Newhook into the glass from behind well after the puck is gone. Carrier rushes right over and starts throwing at the player who tied with Florian for the lead in AHL penalty minutes.
- The bad blood isn’t done there as Arber and Jayden Struble take care of more of the goons with beatdowns on Zack MacEwen and Jenik.
- This is why Montreal avoided Ottawa in the Prospect Showdown.
- Montreal gets a five-on-three out of the Senators deciding that the time for hockey is done for the night.
- It looks like Montreal is using this opportunity for some passing practice rather than punishing Ottawa for its nonsense.
- Another excellent backcheck from Laine after about three minutes on the ice convinces the Senators to abandon what was shaping up to be a two-on-one.
- But seriously, why are the Ottawa Senators playing the likes of Hayden Hodgson and Zack MacEwen in the final week of the pre-season? Is that as deep as their NHL pool extends?
Third period
- Can’t exactly say this an inspiring performance from the power play. Montreal needs a few players to be more willing to shoot.
- Demidov dances around a Sens player and gets tripped. I don’t know how teams are going to handle both him and Hutson on the ice at the same time.
- Speaking of Hutson, he just scored for the second time in two games. Maybe he’s the one who will do the shooting this season. He might score 30.
Lane Hutson: power play wizard
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) September 30, 2025 at 10:11 PM
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- MacEwen tries to force Jake Evans into the Canadiens’ bench, and fists are flying again. Maybe don’t do that with two Xhekajs and Josh Anderson on the ice.
- I don’t think this game looks a whole lot different with Brady Tkachuk on the ice for Ottawa either.
- If you weigh in at over 200 pounds, I think you just got tossed from this game. The refs are trying to rein things in a bit. No power plays, but much shorter benches.
- Nick Cousins uses a two-handed overhand chop on the wrist of Demidov. Clear intent to injure. The refs missed tossing one of the Senators goons out of this contest, and that should have been much more than a two-minute penalty.
- Demidov is on the ice for the end of the power play, and just fired a shot at about 95 miles per hour.
- Kirby Dach adds a fifth goal. Do those in Quebec City gets wings even if the Sens are the home team in this game?
- Dylan Cozens wrestles Hutson to the ice. The Senators have no interest in actually playing hockey now.
- Dach plays the puck into the zone, then gets mugged by Donovan Sebrango.
- At this point, just play an intrasquad game to finish the pre-season on Saturday.
- Montreal will finish the game on a seven-minute power play.
- The game finishes 5-0 for Montreal. The Senators may need to pay $7 million to return to Quebec City for a game again.
