Anton Forsberg perfect as Senators blank Jets 3-0 in pre-season
By Judy Owen, The Canadian Press on October 5, 2023.
WINNIPEG – Anton Forsberg made 21 saves as the Ottawa Senators blanked the Winnipeg Jets 3-0 on Thursday in pre-season action. Josh Bailey and Jakob Chychrun both had a goal and assist for Ottawa. Claude Giroux scored his team’s first goal and Jake Sanderson picked up a pair of assists. Forsberg recorded wins in all three games he played for Ottawa. Joonas Korpisalo is expected to start in net for the Senators in the regular season. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 30 shots for the Jets, who wrapped up exhibition play with a four-game winless streak. Both teams iced lineups similar to the ones that will open the regular season next week. After Winnipeg turned the puck over at mid-ice, Giroux scored on a breakaway with a deke that froze Hellebuyck for a split second at 16:58 of the first period. The Jets went on a power play less than a minute later, but didn’t get a shot on goal and gave up a three-on-one that was thwarted when Alex Iafallo broke up a pass. Ottawa gave their penalty killers a stretch of work after taking four penalties in a row in a 10-minute span from late in the first period into the second. Winnipeg couldn’t capitalize, as Vladislav Namestnikov had a shot go off a post and Cole Perfetti sent the puck wide of the net. Jets forward Mason Appleton had a breakaway shot gloved by Forsberg with seven minutes left in the middle frame. Bailey scored at the same time a Winnipeg penalty expired to give the visitors a 2-0 lead at 17:26. Shots on goal after two periods were 19-19. The Jets had their turn with penalty trouble early in the third, taking a trio of penalties in an eight-minute span. Chychrun beat Hellebuyck with 36 seconds remaining in an unsportsmanlike penalty to Mark Scheifele. DEFENCEMAN DOWN Jets blueliner Ville Heinola, who was on his way to earning a roster spot this season, got tangled up with Sens blueliner Erik Brannstrom in a corner with just over six minutes remaining in the first period. Heinola couldn’t get up on his own and was helped off the ice and down the tunnel while holding his left skate up. He didn’t return. NO GAME ACTION Nikolaj Ehlers has missed all six of Winnipeg’s exhibition games. The speedy winger suffered an injury during a workout before training camp started that quickly gave him neck spasms. He did fully practise this week and head coach Rick Bowness had left it up to him to decide whether he was ready to play the Senators. UP NEXT Winnipeg has finished the pre-season and will open the regular season in Calgary against the Flames on Oct. 11. Ottawa wraps up its exhibition play Saturday at home against the Montreal Canadiens. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 5, 2023. 24-23
