Training Camp Open Thread: Ottawa Senators vs Montreal Canadiens III

The Ottawa Senators have won both of their preseason games against the Montreal Canadiens so far, and tonight they’ll have a chance to make it three-for-three, as both teams head to Gander, Newfoundland (this year’s Kraft Hockeyville) for what could be another high-scoring affair.

Ottawa’s training camp roster has gone through one change, as goaltender Mads Sogaard has been assigned to Belleville. Forward Jayce Hawaryluk and defenseman Jacob Larsson remain up with the team as a reward for their strong play, but it doesn’t appear they’ll be dressing for either of the team’s remaining two games. Here’s how the team practiced this morning, with Anton Forsberg projected to play the full 60 minutes:

Sens lines from morning skate.

Tkachuk Stützle Batherson
DeBrincat Norris Giroux
Motte Pinto Joseph
Kelly Gambrell Watson
Hawryluk Kastelic Sabourin
(No Brassard on the ice)

Chabot Zub
Sanderson Hamonic
Brannstrom Zaitsev
Holden JBD
Larsson

— TSN 1200 (@TSN1200) October 6, 2022

• Although Erik Brannstrom and Dylan Gambrell are not on the roster for tonight’s contest, the latter is playing on the projected fourth line, so there’s a chance we’ll see him tonight.
• Jacob Bernard-Docker will get a chance to play alongside Nick Holden, and even though he’s had a good camp so far, his two-way contract status could be what causes him to just miss out on a roster spot, in the end, barring a really good game.
• Shuffling the top-six lines as an experiment is a good idea, just to see how certain players work together. I think part of the fanbase has ingrained in their minds that Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris *have* to play together because of the power of friendship or something, but there’s no better time than the preseason to confirm whether or not the most optimal top-six is really the one we’ve seen all this time./

Tonight’s game will begin at 6:00 PM EST, and will be broadcast in French on TVA Sports. The usual radio coverage on TSN 1200 is also available.