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They got a lot of it.

“Everybody thought we were going to get shellacked,” Boucher said. “We had so many guys blocking shots, it inspired our group. I think it gave us a chance to believe that we were able to compete and one or another, at least give ourselves a chance. Players get all the credit for coming out and surprising everybody.”

After Colin White’s left wrist was broken on a blocked shot in the Senators’ 6-2 win over the Maple Leafs at Canadian Tire Centre on Monday, Brown and Chlapik became the centres of attention as they continue their bids to win a spot on the roster.

Brown opened the scoring on the power play, finishing a give-and-go with Chris Wideman. He was on the puck most of the game and was particularly effective with the Senators on the power play, finding open space and open players.

“We were a bit of a underdog coming into this. They had a pretty loaded lineup,” Brown said. “As a team, we really battled hard. That’s kind of the big thing here. You always want to be moving your feet and, if you’re outworking somebody, you have a better chance of winning. That was the big message.”

Boucher said there was never any question about Brown’s playmaking abilities, adding “he made some really savant plays,” but the difference this year was that he had adapted to the quicker pace of the NHL pre-season.

Chlapik showed flashes in the second period, just failing to tuck the puck past Maple Leafs starting goaltender Frederik Andersen. He iced the game by scoring into an empty net.