SNAPSHOTS: Victor Gets Into COVID-19 Protocol As Ottawa Senate Roster Continues To Grow

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The changes were necessary for the Ottawa Senators Tuesday night at TD Garden.

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In this case, coach Dj smith I didn’t have much of a choice when it came to completing the lineup card.

Victor Mete became the fifth player added to the COVID-19 protocol inactive list by senators on Tuesday afternoon. He was not on the ice for morning skating before the club took on the Bruins and Smith told reporters in Boston that the blueliner was undergoing a test for the virus.

Mete joined a list that already included strikers Connor Brown, Austin Watson and Dylan gambrell , along with a veteran defender Nick holden and associate trainer Jack Capuano. All six will need to have two negative COVID-19 tests before they can resume their activities.

Senators won’t know until Wednesday if Brown and Gambrell will be available to play the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday at home. There have been cases where players registered a positive on a COVID-19 test initially and then got approved a couple of days later when they returned two negatives.

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To make matters worse, the Senators also have a flu virus unrelated to COVID-19 running around the room. The club had to call the goalkeeper Filip Gustavsson from Belleville to dress like the backup in Boston because Anton Forsberg he participated in the morning skating and then could not get dressed.

Exterior Tyler ennis he missed Saturday’s game because of the flu.

“Outside of COVID-19, we’ve had something viral in our room and we have a lot of guys that just haven’t been the same,” Smith said. “Many boys have been sick; some were able to play the last two games and some were not. “

Mete’s absence meant blueliner Erik brannstrom made his debut for the season after being called up from the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville on Sunday night. I was paired with Artem zub during the morning skate and Brannstrom dressed for his 64th game with the club.

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Michael del zotto He also replaced Holden again.

MAKING YOUR DEBUT

All eyes were on the extreme Egor Sokolov in Boston.

He dressed for his first NHL game against the Bruins after being called up when Brown was placed on COVID-19 protocol. The 21-year-old Sokolov was a No. 61 overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft and has come the long way to get into the league, so it was good for him to get the rookie return at the historic Garden.

Sokolov scored two goals and six points in nine games for Belleville and is excited to have the opportunity.

“It’s a dream come true. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve dreamed of playing in the NHL,” Sokolov said before the game. “It was a pretty quick change and I’m excited to be here just to feel what the NHL is like and be close to the boys. “

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He skated with the second unit of the power play in the morning while skating on the fourth line with Parker Kelly and Logan shaw . Sokolov’s parents couldn’t get to the track from their home in Russia, but his billet mother, Ashley ryan , from his days with the Cape Breton Eagles, he made the trip.

Sokolov and extreme Drake Batherson were roommates at Cape Breton during the 2017-18 season.

“I just have to be myself,” Sokolov said. “Don’t be nervous and play my game. I play hockey for fun and I have to enjoy the moment because it is something to remember.

“It’s great to play the Boston Bruins. It doesn’t matter what team it is, but Boston is great for playing your first NHL game. “

Naturally, Sokolov’s teammates were happy for him because he has worked hard.

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“We are very excited for him to make his debut,” said the captain. Brady tkachuk . “It’s definitely exciting to see a first NHL game and it’s special to him. He gives us some energy and we are very happy for him because he has worked hard to get where he is. It will definitely be rewarding. “

Belleville coach Troy Mann was glad that hard-working Sokolov had the opportunity.

“He’s progressed, but to say he’s fully ready for the NHL, until you get a player on that stage, it’s hard to say if he’s ready or not. It’s going to be a special moment for him, but I think as an organization we feel that he needs more experience, ”Mann told the club’s website on Tuesday.

“Compare it to a guy like Drake Batherson who spent two or three times climbing, with extended stares, before becoming a full-time NHL player. It is a great opportunity for Egor, we are very happy for him and time will tell in terms of how ready he will be or how close he is ”.

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THE LAST WORDS

After spending part of two seasons with the Senators, the Bruins defender Mike reilly had a chance to face his former teammates for the first time since transferring to Boston on last season’s trade deadline.

He signed with Boston as a UFA in the summer.

“Nothing but great things to say about Ottawa and my time there,” Reilly said. “DJ Smith was amazing to me. They have a really good group of guys there. They are young, but I think DJ Smith is trying to build a culture there. It was great to be a part of and I’m still pretty close to a lot of guys on the team. Glad I made a stop there. It helped my game a lot. “

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Twitter: @sungarrioch