Senators fall to Montreal in overtime as preseason approaches final stretch

The Senators fell 3-2 in overtime to Montreal Monday night in Trois-Rivières, as Cole Caufield scored the overtime winner on a second-period power play with 7:57 remaining in the game.

Dylan Cozens and William Eklund scored for Ottawa in front of more than 4,000 fans at Centre Vidéotron. Goaltender Samuel Ersson made 33 stops, including in the critical final minutes of regulation. "You want to come out with the win, especially leading late in the third," Ersson said. "That stings a little bit."

The loss came after Montreal dominated the first period, outshooting Ottawa 13-4. Head coach Travis Green acknowledged the imbalance. "That period was the opposite of what we're typically about," he said. "We're a possession team and a defensive team, but it's the preseason. It was a bit of a shooting gallery."

Ersson, acquired from Philadelphia on a two-year deal to serve as backup to Linus Ullmark, found positives despite the defeat. "There are things to build on for sure. It's the preseason, it's about getting a feel for the game. There are definitely some good things."

Staios, the Senators' president of hockey operations and general manager, fielded questions after the first period. "I made a commitment to my players and the fans that we weren't going to take a step back. I feel good about where we're at," he told Sportsnet.

The Cozens-Eklund-Zetterlund line was the club's standout, with Cozens giving Ottawa a 2-1 lead heading into the later periods. Tim Stutzle was absent from the lineup. The Senators have two split-squad games remaining in their five-game preseason schedule before camp closes Sunday. The roster deadline is September 28.