Shane Pinto helped finish off a comeback night for the Ottawa Senators, who kept rolling with a 3-2 shootout win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Ottawa has now won four of its first five games to open an NHL season for the first time in 12 years, but this one took some work. The Senators stared down a two-goal deficit in the first period, then clawed all the way back before Drake Batherson delivered the equalizer with 1:23 left in the third.
With Linus Ullmark pulled for an extra attacker, Batherson got the break he needed when the puck deflected off his leg and into the Nashville net.
That set the stage for a shootout win after a game that stayed tight throughout. Tim Stutzle also scored for Ottawa, and his goal at 9:29 of the second period cut Nashville’s lead to 2-1. Stutzle finished a perfect pass from Dylan Cozens with a one-timer past Murray on the stick side, giving the Senators just their third power-play goal of the season.
For much of the night, though, offense was hard to find. The Predators didn’t give Ottawa much room to operate, and the Senators went 22 minutes 22 seconds without a shot during a stretch that ran from the second period into the third. Even with that, Ottawa found a way to stay alive.
Ullmark was a big reason why. Making his fourth start of the season, he kept the Senators within striking distance and came up with a huge stop on Roman Josi on a breakaway in overtime.
Ottawa outshot Nashville 10-4 in overtime, even while failing to cash in on a two-man advantage that lasted 54 seconds. The Senators also had a couple of chances hit the iron, with both Batherson and Thomas Chabot ringing shots off the post.
Nashville had its own chances early, getting three power plays in the first period and scoring on one of them. Still, the Senators’ start left them with plenty to chase. Ottawa managed only four shots on Murray in the first period, and its lone power play of the night didn’t offer much danger.
In Other News...
Red Wings Standings Chase Just Got Tougher In The Atlantic
Ottawa is getting healthier at a good time, with defensemen Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub expected back in the lineup within the next few days. Zub has been working his way back from a knee injury that kept him out of camp and preseason, while Sandersons return should give the Senators another boost on the back end as they try to keep pace in a crowded division.
Andr Burakovsky is also close to coming back from an upper-body injury, adding another layer to the Senators near-term picture. The timing matters because Detroit has already started sorting through its own injury list, activating forwards Chase Stillman and Carter Bear and sending them to Grand Rapids, a small but relevant reminder that the Atlantic chase will keep shifting as teams get bodies back and try to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Prospect Watch Took A Frustrating Turn In London
The London Knights had the kind of night that can sting long after the final horn, letting an early two-goal lead slip away before falling 4-3 in a shootout to the Erie Otters. For Ottawa Senators fans keeping tabs on the prospect scene, there was still plenty to note beyond the result: Eloan Le Gallic and Marcus Nordmark chipped in, while the Knights first-period scoring and special teams left them chasing the game far too often.
Aleksei Medvedev did his part for stretches, coming up with several key saves as London tried to steady itself and get to the finish line with two points. Instead, the Knights were left to regroup after another frustrating finish, and the attention now shifts to how they respond to a game that exposed some familiar issues and offered only a partial silver lining for those watching the pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Must Reshuffle Two Key Forward Spots At A Risky Time
William Eklunds ankle injury has forced Ottawa into an early lineup adjustment at a time when the Senators are already juggling bodies, and the timing is hardly ideal. Even with the shuffling, the club has managed a strong start with three wins in four games, a useful cushion as it waits on more reinforcements and tries to keep the forward group from losing too much rhythm.
Andr Burakovsky is set to make his regular season debut as part of the fix, while Ridly Greig is moving up the depth chart to help fill the void left behind. With Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson also expected back soon, Ottawa is trying to patch together the present while keeping one eye on a healthier version of the roster, but how quickly these new combinations settle in will matter. [Read more 🡒]