And they seem to want revenge.
Perhaps in response to the incidents that occurred during the game, the Sens have recalled several physical players ahead of the next duel between the two clubs, which will take place this Saturday night in Ottawa. Tyler Boucher, Angus Crookshank, Stephen Halliday, Hayden Hodgson, Cole Reinhardt, Filip Roos, and Donovan Sebrango have all left the Belleville Senators in the AHL to join the main team.
While there's no guarantee they will all play on Saturday night, we can expect a rather physical lineup from the Sens. According to Bruce Garrioch, Boucher, Crookshank, and Sebrango are known to agitate their rivals on the ice.
When questioned about these call-ups, Canadiens' head coach Martin St-Louis said he's preparing for anything in this matchup. He even asked his boss, Kent Hughes, to reach out to his counterpart, Steve Staios, to figure out what they have in mind.
It wouldn't be surprising, given the circumstances, if the league also tries to minimize any potential issues by talking to both teams.
It will be interesting to see how MSL reacts to all this. Since he is visiting Ottawa, he will have to submit his lineup to the NHL first and therefore won't be able to tell if the Ontario team is bluffing.
Will the Canadiens choose to protect their star players, or will they give them one final real preseason match? The club's top line hasn't played in over a week, and leaving them in the stands could negatively impact their season opener on October 9.
A situation to follow...
POLL | ||
Do you think the Ottawa Senators are looking for trouble? | ||
Yes | 812 | 86.9 % |
No | 122 | 13.1 % |
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