By Canadian Press

Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators beat Vancouver Canucks 6-2 in pre-season play

Sep 25, 2019 | 9:56 PM

VANCOUVER — Brady Tkachuk had two goals and two assists and Craig Anderson stopped 44-of-46 shots, leading the Ottawa Senators to a 6-2 pre-season win over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.

Connor Brown, Filip Chlapik, Thomas Chabot and Artem Anisimov also scored for the Sens, while Mark Borowiecki tallied a pair of assists.

Vancouver got a goal and an assist each from Adam Gaudette and Sven Baertschi. Thatcher Demko had 23 saves for the Canucks.

The Ottawa victory follows a high-scoring tilt between the two teams on Monday, when the Canucks won 6-4.

While Vancouver’s power play was potent Monday, scoring on four-of-seven chances, the Canucks couldn’t burry the puck when they had the man advantage on Wednesday despite having four opportunities.

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The Canucks opened the scoring 3:11 into the game after Baertschi was hit with the puck deep in Ottawa territory.

The left-winger took advantage of the Sens misplay, dishing the puck off to Gaudette who fired a one-timer and beat Anderson glove side.

The 22-year-old centre now has four goals and an assist in exhibition play this year.

The pair teamed up again before the end of the first period.

Gaudette streaked into the Sens zone and left a nifty drop pass for his teammate. Baertschi picked it up and sent a laser flying past Anderson from the top of the face-off circle.

Less than a minute later, Ottawa got on the board when Brown sent a snapshot through traffic past Demko.

Tkachuk put away the equalizer early in the second frame, tapping a long shot from Cody Goloubef in backdoor.

The Sens pulled ahead before the end of the period after Demko came out to the left of the crease to make a stop on Borowiecki. But instead of shooting, the Ottawa defenceman sent the puck over to Chlapik down low and he backhanded a shot in behind a diving Demko.

A roughing penalty charged to Vancouver’s Jay Beagle gave Ottawa its first power play of the night early in the third and the Sens were quick to capitalize.

After some crisp passing off the faceoff, Chabot sent a long slap shot toward the Canucks net and beat Demko stick side.

Vancouver had yet another power-play opportunity midway through the third when Borowiecki was called for roughing after he hauled down Vancouver’s Tyler Graovac along the end boards.

Instead, rookie Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes lost the puck in his own zone, leading Anisimov to put away a short-handed goal.

Tkachuk added a power-play goal with less than three seconds left in the game to round out the scoring.

The Canucks will play their final exhibition game of the year on Thursday when they host the Arizona Coyotes. The Senators will finish their pre-season with a trip to visit the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.

NOTES: Chris Tierney did not play for the Senators. Earlier on Wednesday, he spoke with media and apologized for a hit in Monday’s game that left Canucks right-winger Brock Boeser in concussion protocol. … Borowiecki and Vancouver’s Zack MacEwen threw punches midway through the first period after MacEwen flatted Goloubef along the boards. Both were handed majors for fighting.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2019.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press