Even a pre-season victory in the Battle of Ontario feels good for the Ottawa Senators.

Shane Pinto played the role of hero as he scored his second of the game only 16 seconds into overtime to lead the Senators to a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena, with Ottawa poised to make a large cut in the next 48 hours.

While the Leafs featured the likes of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly, the Senators didn’t have many regulars beyond Dylan Cozens, Fabian Zetterlund, Nick Cousins, Michael Amadio, Jake Sanderson, Artem Zub and Pinto.

The Senators erased a 2-0 deficit in the third period. Pinto scored with the goaltender pulled to tie it up on the powerplay with 2:02 left in the game, and Zetterlund brought his club within a goal with a shorthanded effort.

“Preseason is for trying to get back into the swing of things,” said Pinto. “I felt good tonight. Still trying to get back into the swing of things.”

With 49 players in camp, a five-day sojourn to Quebec City on the horizon, the expectation is that Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, and coach Travis Green have decisions to make.

“It was a good game,” Green said. “I thought we were much better from the drop of the puck tonight. Toronto had a much better lineup, and there were a lot of good efforts. I liked the way we committed on both sides of the puck.”

CAUSE FOR CONCERN?

Winger Drake Batherson wasn’t scheduled to face the Leafs, but he didn’t finish the skate on Tuesday at the Canadian Tire Centre.

The high-scoring winger left early after suffering an ailment.

Asked if Batherson was okay, Green said before the game: “I don’t have an update on it yet.”

What happened?

“I’m not sure,” Green said. “He pulled something.”

That’s not encouraging news on Batherson, but we’ll have to see what happens in the next few days. He’s coming off his third straight season with more than 20 goals and is counted on to play in the top six.

If Batherson isn’t ready to start the year, that would be a blow, but the opener isn’t for two weeks.

There was some good news on the injury front.

Defenceman Tyler Kleven suffered an ankle injury and left the game against the Leafs on Sunday after he took a hard fall into the boards.

“It’s good news. He should be on the ice in the next day or two,” Green said.

YAK ON THE ATTACK

Carter Yakemchuk made his pre-season debut and was given an excellent opportunity on the right side of Sanderson.

The club’s No. 7 overall selection in the 2024 National Hockey League draft is pushing for a spot on the blueline. Injuries create chances, and there is no timeline for Nick Jensen to return from a hip injury.

Yakemchuk, 19, had a strong camp last year and is trying to show Green and Staios that he deserves to be here.

The ideal scenario would see Yakemchuk start the year with the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville, but that doesn’t mean he’ll go quietly.

Playing with Sanderson meant Yakemchuk was on the ice against some of Toronto’s better players. Artem Zub was paired with prospect Tomas Hamara, who finished last year in Belleville.

Yakemchuk has good poise, especially offensively, but he found himself in some difficult situations in this one. The pace will only increase through the pre-season, so much is left to be decided.

“He’s got a bright future ahead of him,” Sanderson told TSN’s Gord Miller after the second period.

THE BACKUP PLAN

Leevi Merilainen will be counted on to help carry the load this season.

He played a key role in helping the Senators get to the playoffs last spring when he stepped into the job for nearly two months when Linus Ullmark was out with a back injury.

Making his pre-season debut, Merilainen made 23 stops before watching the third period from the bench with the club trailing 2-0 after 40 minutes.

Merilainen didn’t look great on either goal, but let’s remember he didn’t get any offensive support either.

Leafs’ winger Bobby McMann opened up a two-goal lead after 20 minutes by beating Merilainen with a backhand on the powerplay that squeezed its way into the net.

That came with Shane Pinto in the box, and it was the third powerplay goal the club had given up three goals in six attempts in the pre-season.

“We’re trying some new guys,” Green said. “It has to improve.”

The opening goal by Matthews is one that Merilainen has to have, but you can give him a pass because it’s the pre-season. Matthews fired a shot by Merilainen on the stick side on the third shot at 4:24.

Hunter Shepard, a 29-year-old who will play in Belleville, suited up in the third.

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

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