Carter’s OT Goal Ruins Senators Magical Comeback
If you went to bed early and missed the comeback, I wouldn’t blame you. If I wasn’t doing this recap I probably would have done the same myself, and I still almost called it a night at one point. The Senators were looking that bad.
Playing without their captain, Jason Spezza, who rested a sore groin, it was the Kings’ captain who did most of the first period damage. Dustin Brown scored a pair of opening period goals to put the Kings out front and put the Senators in a hole that for a long time it didn’t look like they could not dig themselves out of.
But if the Senators have shown anything over the last couple of years, it is that if you underestimate them, that is when they will jump up and bite you. They slowly chipped away at the Kings’ lead and with 4:27 remaining had the game deadlocked at 3. They held onto the tie despite a late penalty kill, and despite dropping the game in overtime, will take the point and run with it.
Oct 9, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown (23) is defended by Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson (41) and defenseman
Marc Methot(3) at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
GAME RECAP
Ottawa got the first power play with Dustin Brown getting a goalie interference penalty. While Ottawa controlled the pace for the man advantage, Bobby Ryan fired a shot way wide far side as Brown stepped out of the box, sprung on a breakaway by Ryan’s miss. Brown beat Anderson far side from a weak angle to get the game’s first goal. LA doubled the lead a few minutes later when Ottawa took back to back penalties, giving the Kings an short 2 man advantage. As the first penalty to Zack Smith expired, Colin Greening had the puck on his stick with an opportunity to clear it out, but instead gave it away to Mike Richards who dished to Jeff Carter past a sprawling Anderson. LA got another two man advantage, and once again after the 5 on 3 expired, they clicked when Brown tapped home a Carter centering pass to make it 3-0 Los Angeles.
Just when it looked like nothing was going to go the Sens’ way, Joe Corvo forced a turnover in the LA end, and the puck went to Erik Condra in the circle, who found Jean-Gabriel Pageau who snapped it past Jonathan Quick. Chris Neil left the game momentarily after taking a puck on the bridge of the nose, but he returned before too long. It was a better period for the Senators, playing 5 on 5 the whole time, but they couldn’t get any closer and still trailed by 2 with 20 minutes left.
Paul MacLean made some line juggling to close the second and open the third in an attempt to spark his club. This included putting Bobby Ryan on a line with Pageau and replacing him on the “top line” with Greening. The top line was re-united for the power play and it paid off with Ryan taking a pass from Erik Karlsson and ripping a wrist shot top shelf, bringing the Senators within one. On a late power play, Quick absolutely stoned Stephane Da Costa on a rebound, sprawling across with his leg to preserve the one goal lead. Just after that penalty expired, Milan Michalek pulled the puck out of a scrum and his quick wrister caught Quick by surprise and beat him high glove to tie the game. Clarke MacArthur took a penalty with 90 seconds left, but a yeoman’s effort from Chris Phillips and Condra earned the Senators a point that would not have been expected 40 minutes earlier.
It didn’t take long in overtime for Mike Richards to blast a shot from the point that was tipped in by Jeff Carter to send the Kings faithful home happy.
SENSHOT’S PLAYER OF THE GAME
After the Kings took a 3-0 lead, it was Craig Anderson who kept them in the game by not allowing the next goal, covering up for teammates’ mistakes and making numerous stops. He would like to have the first Brown goal back, but other than that he was pretty solid in ensuring the Senators had the chance to come back.
UP NEXT
The Senators have a couple of days off before they go North to face the scorching-hot San Jose Sharks, who put up a 9-spot against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night The game is the late Hockey Night In Canada game, another 10:00 puck drop.