VIDEO: Smejkal scored for the first time in an Ottawa jersey and helped them to victory! Blümel and Jeník also scored in preparation

Ottawa defeated Florida 4:2 in their fifth preseason game, thanks to the efforts of Czech forward Jiří Smejkal. He scored the Senators’ first goal just like that and set his team on the road to a turnaround. Matěj Blümel and Jan Jeník also scored in the preparation.

Jiri Smejkal has played enough in Europe. He made twenty-six starts for Medvescak Zagreb in the KHL, then spent several seasons in Sparta, and in 2017/18 he also had a guest stint in Chomutov.

In the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, he became a permanent member of the Prague team, scoring 31 points (13+18) in 47 games.

It was so clear that after this engagement, the door to Europe opened for him. He then spent two seasons in Finland, first wearing the jersey of Tappara, then Lahti Pelicans, where he scored 45 points in 44 regular season games.

He also had a very successful record in Oskarshamn, Sweden, and was also an important man for the Czech team at the last World Championship.

He has a one-year contract in the Canadian capital and will earn $870,000.

He has one goal and three assists so far this season

The Senators have played five preliminary games so far, winning four of them. Smejkal had an assist against Toronto (3: 2) and added another assist in the game against Montreal. Ottawa lost that one 3:4.

He scored his best point in Ottawa’s last game against Florida. The Senators won 4:2, but the visitors were the first to take the lead. Smejkal tied the game at 1:1 at 14:22 and assisted on a goal at the start of the second period to make it 2:1.

The Panthers didn’t score another goal in the middle part of the game and tied the game at 2:2 after ten minutes of the third period.

Parker Kelly and Drake Batherson scored in the last minutes of the third period. Ottawa won the fourth of five preliminary games and is currently in very good shape.

However, other Czechs also scored in Monday’s preliminary games. Matěj Blümel scored for Dallas against Colorado, but the Stars lost the game in overtime (3:4). Jan Jeník, whose goal was not enough for Arizona to win against Anaheim (4:5), also lost.

Source: NHL, Ottawa Senators, Elite Prospects