Quinton Byfield’s overtime winner rescued the Los Angeles Kings from a collapse they nearly brought on themselves, as the Senators stormed back from a 5-1 hole in the third period before falling 6-5 in overtime on Thursday night.
For Ottawa, the point came out of nowhere. The Senators were buried after a brutal second period, then spent 25 straight minutes without a shot on goal while dealing with a depleted bench that left them with only nine forwards. But somehow, they found enough push to turn a lopsided night into a game that went all the way to overtime.
Dylan Cozens sparked the rally with two goals and an assist, and Drake Batherson added a goal and two assists. Ottawa’s comeback started at 7:18 of the third when Cozens scored his second goal of the season.
Only 33 seconds later, Batherson hammered one in off the crossbar to cut the Kings’ lead to 5-3. Then at 12:34, Cozens struck again on the power play, poking the puck home to make it a one-goal game.
The Senators had actually opened the scoring. Tyler Kleven jumped into the play and finished a rebound off a Fabian Zetterlund shot to give Ottawa a 1-0 lead. From there, though, Los Angeles took over.
After a questionable interference penalty against Artem Zub, the Kings tied it on an Erik Haula deflection, with Corey Perry screening Jonas Johansson in front. Perry kept showing up in the middle of everything for Los Angeles.
Trevor Moore put the Kings ahead 2-1, then Mikey Anderson scored from distance to make it 3-1, again with Perry planted in front. Joel Armia made it 4-1 with a spin and a shot past Johansson, ending the Ottawa goalie’s night after his third straight start and bringing Sam Ersson into the game.
The change in net didn’t stop the bleeding right away. Artemi Panarin then ripped one off the post and in to push the Kings ahead 5-1, with Perry once more screening the goaltender.
Ottawa’s situation got even tougher from there. Hayden Hodgson received a five-minute major and an ejection for a hit on Brandt Clarke, Andre Burakovsky left with a lower-body injury, and Nick Cousins picked up a misconduct. That left the Senators trying to claw back with just nine available forwards.
Despite all of that, they kept coming. What looked like a lost cause became a wild rescue mission, and Ottawa managed to salvage a point from a game that appeared completely out of reach.
The overtime loss extended Los Angeles’ unbeaten run against the Senators to 13 games at 10-0-3. It also marked Ottawa’s first back-to-back loss of the season, though neither defeat came in regulation.
There will be plenty for Travis Green and his staff to sort through after a second period that got away from them and a long stretch where the offense went silent. Still, given where the Senators stood midway through the third, that point had to feel much better than the final score suggests.
In Other News...
Senators Forward Depth Is Being Tested In A Hurry
The Senators are leaning on their depth chart sooner than planned, with Philip Tomasino and Xavier Bourgault summoned from Belleville after injuries to Warren Foegele and Andre Burakovsky, along with Hayden Hodgsons suspension, thinned the forward group. Both Tomasino and Bourgault have been productive in the AHL this season, and Ottawa is hoping their recent form can carry over as the club tries to keep its lines intact through a sudden wave of absences.
Belleville had to make a move of its own in response, signing Kyle McDonald to a professional tryout contract to help fill the gap left behind. For Ottawa, the bigger question is how long this patchwork arrangement lasts, especially with one injured winger facing a longer absence and another still awaiting a clearer read on the severity of his setback. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Let Ottawa Back In And It Nearly Cost Them
The Senators had the kind of night that can leave a coach shaking his head, because they looked in control early before the game turned sharply in Los Angeles. Ottawa still got three-point efforts from Dylan Cozens, Tim Sttzle and Drake Batherson, but it was not enough to protect a lead that slipped away as the Kings answered with a long run of offense.
Jonas Johanssons night ended after he gave up four goals on 16 shots, and Samuel Ersson had to take over in relief, making 20 saves to finish it out. For Ottawa, the second straight loss was especially frustrating because the scoring was there and the start was there, but the back half of the game left far too much to clean up. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Suddenly Face A Depth Test At The Worst Time
The Senators are reaching into Belleville for help at a time when their lineup is already getting stretched thin. Ottawa recalled forwards Xavier Bourgault and Phil Tomasino to reinforce the group as injuries and a looming suspension force the club to patch together its depth, with Andre Burakovsky likely unavailable because of a lower-body injury.
Hayden Hodgson is also headed for a suspension hearing after a dangerous hit, adding another layer of uncertainty to a forward corps that is suddenly short on answers. With the starting goaltender still sidelined by a lower-body strain and both Jonas Johansson and Samuel Ersson coming off shaky recent starts, Ottawa is juggling more than one problem at once, and the timing could hardly be worse. [Read more 🡒]