Boston Bruins Come Back To Beat The Ottawa Senators 3-2 In Shootout

For the second game in a row, the Ottawa Senators took a 2-0 lead, and for the second game in a row, they allowed their opposition to tie it up.  This time, the Senators could not recover as David Krejci scored the shootout winner to get the extra point.  Ottawa got a point against probably the best team in the Eastern Conference, although the 2nd point would have been incredibly valuable at home.  Still, when you get up 2-0 against the top team in the conference, you would like to end that with a W.

Mar 11, 2013; Ottawa, ON, CAN; Boston Bruins left wing Shawn Thornton (not pictured) scores against Ottawa Senators goalie Robin Lehner (40) in the first period at Scotiabank Place. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

GAME RECAP

Newly healthy Guillaume Latendresse picked up a bouncing pass from Sergei Gonchar and broke in alone on Tuuka Rask, tucking it around the outstretched pad to break the ice before the game was a minute old.  Kyle Turris made it 2-0 when he picked off a loose puck after Chris Phillips pinched in and rifled a wrist shot top shelf past Rask from the slot just over 7 minutes in.  After Adam McQuaid shoved Chris Neil from behind into the end boards, Patrick Wiercioch stepped up in weight class and challenged McQuaid, and got the Chris Phillips special- 19 minutes including the extra minor for instigating with a visor.  McQuaid got a minor for boarding, as well as the major for fighting, resulting in a Boston power play, that Ottawa killed off effectively.  Rask made a huge save off Colin Greening with just over  three minutes left to keep the game within 2, which turned out to be an important save.  That is because Boston’s 4th line got the Bruins on the board in the last minute as Shawn Thornton wristed a shot that somehow squeaked through Robin Lehner to cut the lead in half as the teams headed to the locker room.

The second opened up with Lehner misplaying a puck behind the net and turning it over, but there was no ill effect for the Senators.  Neil collided with former Senator teammate Chris Kelly, and their knees collided in the hit and Kelly went to the room not putting any pressure on his left leg.  Just after a Senator power play expired, Daniel Paille came off the bench and was sent alone on a breakaway and made no mistake beating Lehner high to even the game at 1.  As the period wound down, Lehner made a great save on Patrice Bergeron, coming across to stop him on a 2 on 1.  Ottawa killed off a late penalty, and after 40 minutes it was still anybody’s game, deadlocked at 2.

After the run-and-gun first andthe cautious 2nd, the third period was the dulled and least eventful.  Zack Smith had one of the best scoring chances in the last minute driving to the net from the wing and going around Zdeno Chara.  Alas, Rask stood his ground and for the second time in a row, these two teams were heading to overtime.

Turris had the best opportunity in the extra frame, redirecting a Wiercioch pass at the edge of the crease, but couldn’t make it count.  Both teams played a little looser and each team had 3 shots, but the game was sent to the shootout.

Jakob Silfverberg – MISSED NET WIDE
Tyler Seguin – BLOCKER SAVE LEHNER
Kyle Turris – GOAL
Patrice Bergeron – GOAL
Daniel Alfredsson – BLOCKER SAVE RASK
Brad Marchand – STICK SAVE LEHNER
Kaspars Daugavins – SPIN-O-RAMA STOPPED BY RIGHT SKATE
David Krejci – SCORES TOP SHELF

Bruins Win 3-2

OBSERVATIONS

• The Sens are lucky that the late first period goal by the Bruins didn’t come back to haunt them.  Greening missed a great chance just a couple of minutes before that would have made it 3-0 and the save by Rask along with thornton’s goal could have been game-changing.
• Give Wiercioch a lot of credit for stepping in against a tough player and avenging the hit on Neil. It wasn’t whether he won or lost (and he scored the takedown), but the fact that he stepped up immediately to make McQuaid answer the bell for his hit.  Whether the hit was legal or not is debatable, but it was unnecessary and McQuaid had made no effort to play the puck and shoved Neil in the numbers into the boards.
• There will be some debate over Daugavins’ shootout attempt as it looked like an all-star game move, with his stick upturned on top of the puck.  It was almost successful and looked like a hot-dog move and could have been disastrous.  The fact that the game ended on the next shot doesn’t help his case.  You can have your say on the move HERE

SENSHOT’S PLAYER OF THE GAME

Chris Phillips had a great game, recording 2 assists, a +2 rating and logging more ice time than any player on either team. The Big Rig was throwing his weight around the defensive zone as well.

UP NEXT

Ottawa faces another top team in their division, as they travel down the 417 to face the Canadiens in Montreal on Wednesday evening.