The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators had a heated preseason game that featured 152 penalty minutes between the two teams.
Montreal won the preseason game 5-0, but during the game, Senators defenseman Donovan Sebrango jumped Kirby Dach.
Following the game, Dach called out Sebrango for his cheap shot and claimed that if he did that on the street, he would be in trouble.
“Strange play. It’s not a hockey play,” Dach said. “It’s definitely something that if you did it out on the street, you’d be in a lot of trouble.”
Dach clearly wasn’t happy with Sebrango, as he didn’t think it was a hockey play. But, luckily for Dach, he wasn’t injured in the play.
Meanwhile, following the game, veteran forward Brendan Gallagher wasn’t pleased with the Senators and how they played the game.
“Listen, you see what kind of lineup their coach wanted to play, it is what it is,” Gallagher said. “We’re aware. I thought we did a pretty good job of sticking up for each other and just playing hockey. It’s what we’re here for. If they want to do other things, that’s fine. I thought we did a good job tonight.”
The Canadiens play the Senators in their preseason finale on Oct. 4.
Canadiens Coach Rips Senators
The preseason is used for players to get some game action, but it usually isn’t very physical or sees fights.
But the Senators went after the Canadiens as they were getting blown out. After the game, Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis felt like Ottawa’s actions weren’t justified.
“There’s no need for that,” St. Louis said. “It’s an exhibition game; both teams are trying to get ready for a long season. I don’t think there’s any need for that in the game.”
The NHL could look at suspensions and fines for what happened during the game. But, even if there is some punishment, the Canadiens aren’t happy with what happened, as forward Alex Newhook felt like Sebrango cheap-shotted Dach.
“It’s hard not to say there’s no bad intent there,” Newhook said. “If you look at the play, it felt like it was three seconds late. Backs turned to the boards, you see numbers. The guy’s talking a lot during the game, wanted to fight someone, and I think that’s kind of a cheap way to show who you are, and that’s all I’ll say about it.”
The Canadiens open their season on Oct. 8 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Montreal Focused on Being a Playoff Team
The Canadiens made the playoffs last season, and Montreal is looking to build off that.
In the offseason, the Habs were active, adding the likes of Noah Dobson and Zack Bolduc to bolster their roster. Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki says the goal is to make the playoffs and go on a deep run.
“This year, I think everyone sees us as a playoff team. That’s where we all think we are, too,” said Suzuki. “We lost some pieces and gained some pieces. It’s about getting that chemistry back as a full team, getting back to the way we were playing at the end of the season.
“I think we’re going to respond really well. We had a lot of pressure over the last few months. We gained a lot of experience,” Suzuki added. “Inside our room we had higher expectations than everyone outside. Now everyone knows we’re a good team. We can compete with anybody and win those games. It’s just a matter of putting it all together at camp and having a good start.”
Montreal has +105 odds to make the playoffs.
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