The Ottawa Senators got nearly everything they wanted early, then watched the game unravel into chaos before nearly dragging it back anyway.
With Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub all in the lineup together for the first time this season, Ottawa had a healthy defence corps on paper. On the ice, though, the Senators spent most of the night looking anything but sturdy in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
The opening period was fairly balanced. Ottawa created looks by disrupting Kings zone exits, while Los Angeles answered with point shots, screens and rebound tries. The Senators’ bottom-six spent a good stretch in the offensive zone, and Erik Gustafsson came close to scoring from the blueline before the puck rang off the post.
The first breakthrough belonged to Ottawa. Fabian Zetterlund forced the issue in the offensive zone, Darcy Kuemper kicked out the chance, and Tyler Kleven jumped in to finish the loose puck and give the Senators the lead.
But that edge lasted less than four minutes. The Kings answered on the power play when Erik Haula redirected a Brandt Clarke point shot past Jonas Johansson to tie it up.
Then the night really went off the rails.
Ottawa was crushed in the second period, surrendering four straight goals while generating just one shot over the frame. Johansson was pulled after allowing four consecutive goals on 16 shots, with Samuel Ersson taking over. By the time the Senators reached the third period, they were staring at a 5-1 deficit and trying to salvage something from a disaster.
Instead, the comeback showed up.
Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson scored 33 seconds apart to cut the gap and suddenly give Ottawa life again. The Kings then helped keep that life support line open by sending the Senators to the power play twice in a row. The first chance didn’t do much for Ottawa’s momentum, but the second one did, as Cozens struck again with help from Tim Stützle’s third assist of the night to make it a one-goal game with 7:26 remaining.
Then Shane Pinto finished the job on the next twist in the script, scoring on the extra-attacker setup to pull Ottawa level 5-5.
The Senators had gone from buried to even. But overtime settled it, and Quinton Byfield ended it for Los Angeles with 1:23 left.
Ersson ended up with the loss, though the numbers paint a better picture than the result. He allowed goals on 22 shots in mostly difficult circumstances, posting a .909 save percentage, and he should get the next start.
Johansson, meanwhile, was part of the reason Ottawa was chasing all night. The Kings’ 4-1 goal would have been easier to shrug off if not for the way the game played out after it, but in the end it stood out as a costly moment - especially with Kuemper also struggling at the other end.
A major factor in the Kings’ power-play damage came from Hayden Hodgson’s five-minute boarding major, which injured Brandt Clarke. Ottawa then paid for that mistake.
The bigger concern is the bigger pattern. One step forward on offence, two steps back defensively. Ottawa has not been able to lock things down in front of Ersson the way it did for its goalies last season, and while Linus Ullmark’s hot start has given the team some breathing room, that kind of sloppiness won’t hold up in the Atlantic Division.
The Senators are back at it against the Sharks on Saturday, October 31st, with a 4:00 pm EST matinee in San Jose.
In Other News...
Senators Suddenly Face A Forward Depth Problem On This Road Trip
Andre Burakovskys status became one of the more pressing questions on the Senators road trip after he left the game against the Los Angeles Kings and did not return. Ottawa was already trying to keep its forward group intact on the trip, and any absence for Burakovsky would only tighten the margin for error as the team moves through the schedule.
There is still no update on how severe the injury might be or how long he could be out, which leaves the Senators waiting for clarity before they can plan ahead. Depending on how things unfold, Ottawa may have to look beyond its current roster for help, with a potential call-up from Belleville among the possibilities if Burakovsky is unavailable. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Keep Shuffling Key Pieces As Road Trip Pressure Builds
Thomas Chabot was back in the Ottawa lineup against the Los Angeles Kings after missing time with an injury, and his return forced the Senators to rework the blue line again. Carter Yakemchuk came out to make room, another reminder of how much the roster has been in motion as the club tries to navigate its road trip with important pieces still missing.
In goal, Jonas Johansson kept the starting job with Linus Ullmark sidelined, while the forward group had to absorb another adjustment with Warren Foegele out of the picture because of a lower-body injury. That opened the door for Hayden Hodgson to draw in, giving Ottawa yet another new look at a time when every lineup decision feels a little more significant. [Read more 🡒]
Hayden Hodgson Put Senators In A Tough Spot After Controversial Hit
Hayden Hodgsons night against the Kings turned into a problem for Ottawa in a hurry after a hard collision with defender Brandt Clarke sent the Senators into damage-control mode. The play left the club shorthanded in the middle of the game, and it came at a time when every forward shift mattered, forcing Ottawa to adjust on the fly after losing one of its skaters for the remainder of the contest.
What made the hit stand out was not just the penalty, but the manner in which it was delivered. Hodgson was sent off with a major and a game misconduct, and the play drew immediate attention for the way Clarke was driven into the boards. With discipline review now looming, the Senators are left waiting to see whether the fallout extends beyond one rough night on the road. [Read more 🡒]