SNAPSHOTS: Senators hope Chabot and Zub can develop good chemistry

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Communication is the key to a good defensive partner.

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That is what Thomas chabot and Artem zub they are trying to build as the Ottawa Senators training ground picked up speed with the first session on ice at the Canadian Tire Center.

Chabot has played most of the last two seasons with Nikita Zaitsev, but coach Dj smith wants to try a new look, so there will be a Chabot-Zub matchup to begin with.

“Zub is such a strong guy in his own zone,” Chabot said. “That is always something that I try to bring to my game. Having him be so solid defensively, so strong in corner battles, will definitely help as a couple. You’ve seen the way he’s capable of skating and making great passes.

“Having a guy like him on our team always helps us. We can really feed off each other and get involved in the offensive zone and make more plays. As a team, we need to hold the puck a little longer in the offensive zone. “

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One area Smith wants Chabot to get more involved in is offense. Hope is the couple of Michael DelZotto and Zaitsev will be able to play a closing role to take some pressure off Chabot. Nothing is set in stone.

“Let’s see how they do,” Smith said. “Zub is very active and I think he can make plays. He defends as well or better than anyone we have outside of Zaitsev. We’re going to try and get some chemistry there, but we’ll have to see what they look like in exhibition games and their level of communication.

“You have one of our best defensive players in Zub and with our best defense (Chabot) looking after him.”

HOW TO GET STARTED RIGHT

Smith told reporters at his opening press conference one of the mistakes he made last season by failing to get Zub in the lineup early. Signed as an unrestricted free agent from the KHL, the club didn’t have the benefit of a camp and didn’t know how good it was.

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Zub was in the taxi squad for the first nine games of the season. The Senators will open their preseason on Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets at the Canada Life Center at 8 p.m.

“All coaches make mistakes and Zub is one of the biggest,” Smith said. “Without exhibition games, and just watching him play against teammates, it’s hard to say he was such a good player and that’s a mistake. These exhibition games will allow us to reduce the chances of making the mistakes that we all make.

“It will allow us to put the guys in places and make the best possible decisions after seven games. After those games, I think we will have the best lineup that we can have. “

OUT OF THE GLASS

Center Josh norris He came to camp encouraged by what he was able to accomplish last season and is confident to start this year. “We are all very excited,” Norris said. “I thought that in the (last six weeks) of the season we took a big step. I thought we collectively brought it in every night and we felt that as a group we could win every game. We are a year older, we have more experience and we expect more of ourselves each night. That’s good. “Norris is the club’s number one pivot and there is a lot going on behind him to see who will be in the number two position. That should be interesting to watch in camp … Senators are looking forward to a season without all of them. COVID-19 restrictions. When the club was in Ottawa, they went to the track and then were confined to their homes when not playing. The routine was much the same on the road where players couldn’t leave the hotel. Exterior Tim stuetzle He said he is looking forward to getting out and seeing a little more of the city. “However, we still have to be very careful,” Stuetzle said. Last season, he noticed that you came to the track and “saw the same people all the time.”

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THE LAST WORDS

For those who keep score at home, Team C beat Team B by a whopping 6-0 score. It means nothing but goalkeeper Filip Gustavsson He allowed four goals in the first 20 minutes. Mads sogaard took over and looked better just delivering two … D Zac leslie, an Ottawa native who signed a contract with the AHL for the club in the summer, was hit in the first inning and left with what appeared to be a shoulder injury. He did not return for the rest of the practice. Leslie, 27, spent the past two seasons with the Calgary Flames organization and Smith told reporters that he will miss the rest of camp. Leslie is expected to play great minutes at Belleville … GRAM Kevin Mandolese he was shot in the face that broke his mask. It had to end with a second … TSN’s Rick westhead reported Thursday night that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Senators will be able to have 50% capacity during the preseason. The province is expected to make that announcement soon and if all goes well they could return to 100% as soon as possible.

bgarrioch @ postmedia.com

Twitter: @sungarrioch