The Ottawa Senators began their 2025 NHL preseason schedule on Sunday afternoon the same way they ended last season: falling behind 3-0, then losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto scored three goals in the first period, then held on for a 4-3 victory.
The biggest storyline emerging from this one might end up being the health of Tyler Kleven. In the third period, he went into the end boards awkwardly, skates first, and eventually made his way down the tunnel and called it a night. It looked initially like it might be a knee or ankle injury, but the TV cameras caught him on the bench, looking uncomfortable and favouring his right shoulder.
The results of the NHL preseason schedule mean nothing, but if there’s one exhibition game this year the Senators wanted to win, it was this one.
For starters, this game was the only one scheduled for the Canadian Tire Centre, so the organization wanted to put on a good show for their fans. The Sens also dressed the bulk of their top players, while Toronto went with a far less experienced crew that should have been overmatched. And of course, the opponent on Sunday was the Leafs, the Sens’ biggest rival, who ended their season with a six-game triumph back in April.
Ridly Greig, Arthur Kaliyev, and Olle Lycksell scored for the Senators. Drake Batherson and Brady Tkachuk each had two assists. Calle Jarnkrok, Nicholas Robertson, William Villeneuve, and Matthew Barbolini scored for Toronto. Linus Ullmark allowed three goals on eight shots in the first period before Mads Sogaard took over, making 11 saves on 12 shots.
These same two teams will meet again on Tuesday, this time in Toronto.
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