Bļugers scores into empty net as Toronto beats Ottawa in both preseason games
Toronto Maple Leafs, fielding two separate rosters, defeated Ottawa Senators in both of their final NHL preseason games, with Latvian forward Teodors Bļugers scoring into an empty net in one of the matches.
The Toronto Maple Leafs closed out their NHL preseason schedule by fielding two separate lineups against the Ottawa Senators, winning both matchups.
The game featuring Bļugers
In the game that included Latvian forward Teodors Bļugers, the first period ended scoreless. In the second period, Henrik Ribinski gave Toronto a power-play lead, but Dylan Cozens quickly tied the score. In the third period, Steven Lorentz put Toronto back in front, only for Hoyt Stanley to equalize again shortly after. With five minutes left in regulation, Ryan Tverberg scored the go-ahead goal, and Bļugers added an empty-net goal late in the game to seal the win.
The Latvian forward logged just over 16 minutes of ice time, took three shots and won seven of his 13 faceoffs, finishing with a positive plus-minus rating. Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz made the majority of his saves, even though Ottawa outshot Toronto in shot attempts and had the edge in physical play.
Second game and other results
In a parallel matchup, Toronto's second lineup defeated Ottawa's second squad by a wide margin, with several Toronto forwards contributing goals and multiple assists. Elsewhere, the Dallas Stars edged the Minnesota Wild by a narrow margin, with the Dallas goaltender recording a shutout.
These results marked the end of the preseason preparation period ahead of the new NHL season.
