The Ottawa Senators shook off a two-game losing streak on Saturday night, winning a 3-2 nailbiter over the New Jersey Devils. The Devils made a furious push with their goalie pulled at the end of the game but the Sens held on for the win. Linus Ullmark made 25 saves as the Sens were outshot 27-19.
The Senators utilized one of the game's golden rules they probably heard from every coach they've ever had: "Go to the net, get rewarded."
After a scoreless first period, which wasn't for lack of chances, the Senators did all of their scoring in the middle frame in a span of four and a half minutes, all on redirected shots by players stationed in front of the Devils' net.
The first goal came from Brady Tkachuk—his 28th of the season—4:05 into the second period as he redirected a puck from Jake Sanderson.
Just 33 seconds later, Dylan Cozens appeared to be attempting a one-timer but fanned on the shot. Regardless of his intent, it turned into a perfect pass to Batherson, who redirected it past Jake Allen.
The Devils cut the lead to 2-1 at the 7:13 mark when Nico Hischier fired a one-timer for his 30th goal of the season. Jesper Bratt set it up, earning his 61st assist of the year, breaking a Devils franchise record (Scott Stevens 1993-94).
However, the Senators restored their two-goal lead after Claude Giroux’s shot on the power play bounced off David Perron and into the net. It was Perron's sixth goal of the season, making it 3-1 Ottawa and standing up as the winner.
The Senators nursed the lead the rest of the way, but finally bent in the dying moments when Erik Haula scored with 22 seconds left. The Devils made a hard charge to tie it with a loose puck in the blue paint behind Ullmark, but Artem Zub swept it away in the scrum, preserving the win.
Tkachuk continues to push through nagging hip pain that may go back to the 4 Nations tournament in February. Sportsnet cameras caught him wincing in pain during the first period on Saturday night, leaving a shift early, and yelling profanities in frustration. He
The Senators continued to monitor his status, using him sparingly in the third. He played just over 13 minutes, well off his usual contributions. The team is obviously hoping he and defenceman Nick Jensen can heal up their nagging injuries and be as close to 100% as possible before the playoffs.
Speaking of which, the win Saturday was a nice counter to the New York Rangers 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. That keeps the Sens five points above the Eastern playoff cut line. They also expanded their lead on the (WC2) Montreal Canadiens, who lost in a shootout to the Colorado Avalanche and stand four points behind the Sens.
The Sens also climbed two points closer to the top three teams in the Atlantic - Florida, Toronto, and Tampa - who all lost. They're
The Senators' next game is in Buffalo on Tuesday night.
By Steve Warne
Site Editor at The Hockey News Ottawa
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