Game Recap – CHI @ OTT: Former Senators Take The Spotlight

The Ottawa Senators didn’t need the win as badly as the Chicago Blackhawks did, and it showed.  The Hawks have slid down the Western Conference standings and a loss to Ottawa would have put them in danger of sliding right out of a playoff spot.  In the end, it was a pair of former Senators that were the stars as Marian Hossa scored the winner and Ray Emery shut the door in the Hawks’ 2-1 win.

Robin Lehner did his part, making 37 saves for his third straight quality start in the Ottawa net in place of Alex Auld who fizzled in place of Craig Anderson.  The Senators just couldn’t find a way to beat Emery after Milan Michalek‘s first period marker put the Senators in the lead.  Another player with Ottawa connections, former 67’s winger Brian Bickell, evened the score in the second before Hossa’s wraparound game-winner just before the mid-way point of the second gave the Hawks the lead for good.

Matt Gilroy earned a gift assist on the Ottawa goal for his first point as a Senator, while Jason Spezza‘s assist extended his point streak to 11 games in the loss.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

From NHL.com:

 

Ottawa now heads back to the Sunshine State for the  second time in a month, this time without their fathers in tow.  They play Florida on Sunday and Tampa on Tuesday