With new faces like Lassi Thomson, Shane Pinto, Mads Sogaard and the other members of the Senators' 2019 NHL Draft class in action for the first time alongside the rest of the team's skilled prospects, fans were treated to a high-paced contest that ultimately needed a shootout to decide a winner.
"I thought the kids worked hard and competed hard tonight," said Sens chief amateur scout Trent Mann after the game. "There wasn't as much structure to the play obviously since most of the lines and pairings had never played together before but it was nice to see some of our older prospects showcase their development as well as get a first look at the players we drafted last weekend."
Team Red jumped out to a 2-0 lead midway through the scrimmage after goals from Angus Crookshank and Olle Alsing and looked to control the play early on with a strong forecheck that resulted in some costly turnovers for Team White. Crookshank, who was a standout in last year's scrimmage as well, credited his team's mindset for the quick start.
"I'm a competitive kid and I always have been," said Crookshank following the scrimmage. "I think our team helped create a competitive environment tonight and everyone thrived off of it."
Team White answered back before the end of the second period when Drake Batherson fired a wrist shot past Joey Daccord after an offensive zone face-off win to get his squad on the board. Batherson then chipped in with a slick pass to find Jonathan Aspirot for the game-tying goal in the third period.
"It's the middle of June so it's tough to be in game shape," said Batherson. "I haven't played a game since the middle of April so it took a while for the legs to get going."
