Shane Pinto had the kind of night that turns a tight game into a statement win, scoring twice and finishing it off in overtime as the Ottawa Senators edged the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre.
Ottawa got out in front early and had to keep answering after Colorado kept pushing back. Pinto started the scoring at 7:11 of the first period, and Tim Stützle doubled the lead at 13:13. From there, the game kept swinging.
Colorado cut into it on Artturi Lehkonen’s power-play goal at 18:04 of the second period, then Parker Kelly restored the balance with a short-handed goal at 3:54 of the third. The Avalanche grabbed their first lead when Gabriel Landeskog scored on the power play at 10:03, but Drake Batherson answered for Ottawa at 16:04 to force overtime.
Pinto ended it 2:08 into the extra period, giving the Senators the final edge in a game that stayed tight all the way through.
Pinto finished with two goals and an assist, none had three assists, Stützle and Batherson also scored, and Linus Ullmark made 26 saves on 29 shots. For Colorado, Lehkonen, Kelly and Landeskog each found the net, while Scott Wedgewood stopped 22 of 26 shots.
The Avalanche held a 29-26 edge in shots, but Ottawa still came away with the win despite going 0 for 5 on the power play. Colorado finished 2 for 5 with the man advantage.
With the result, Ottawa moved to 12-6-2 and remained sixth in the Eastern Conference. Colorado dropped to 11-6-3 and stayed fourth in the Western Conference.
The Senators visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:00 p.m. ET.
The Avalanche head to the Montreal Canadiens on the same night at 7:00 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Brutal Question About MacKinnon And Makar
The Avalanches night against Ottawa took a sharp turn when Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both exited with lower-body injuries, leaving Colorado to absorb a hit to two of its most important players at once. MacKinnon was hurt while trying to check Artem Zub and eventually had to leave the bench, while Makar went out earlier, briefly came back for one shift and was then ruled out.
For a team that leans so heavily on both stars, the timing makes the concern obvious. Colorado can usually survive a rough stretch because MacKinnon drives the attack and Makar anchors the back end, but losing either one changes the look of the lineup fast. Losing both in the same game raises an even bigger question about how the Avalanche handle the next stretch if the injuries linger. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Brutal Problem After MacKinnon And Makar Exit
The Avalanche were already in a tricky spot against Ottawa, and the second period made it much worse when Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both exited after sustaining injuries. Makar went down while retrieving the puck without contact, while MacKinnon was hurt in a scuffle with Artum Zub, leaving Colorado suddenly scrambling for answers in the middle of a game it could not afford to lose control of.
With Josh Manson also unavailable, the Avalanche may have to reach into their depth chart for help, with Noah Juulsen and Alex Gagne among the names that could be called up. For a team built around elite pace and high-end skill, the possibility of being without two of its biggest drivers is a stark reminder of how quickly a night can change, and how thin the margin becomes when the blue line and top six are both under pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Real Test Without Nathan MacKinnon
Nathan MacKinnons lower-body injury has put the Avalanche in an uncomfortable spot at a time when they were already leaning heavily on their top center to drive the offense. He left the game in the second period and did not return, and Colorado moved quickly to bring up Gavin Brindley from the AHLs Colorado Eagles as a short-term answer. Brindley has already been shuttled up and down multiple times this season, so this is not unfamiliar territory for him.
What changes now is the burden on everyone else. MacKinnons absence strips away the teams most reliable source of pace and production, and Brindley is being asked to help fill some of that gap with offense of his own. For a club that has built so much of its identity around MacKinnon setting the tone, the immediate question is how long Colorado can keep its game intact while waiting for more clarity on his status. [Read more 🡒]