For the second time this season the Ottawa Senators found themselves losing in extra time to the New Jersey Devils. They fell by the score of 5-4 in the shootout.
For the Ottawa Senators this was a game of perspective, a positive and a negative one. We’ll get into that later but first let’s recap the game.
First Period
The first period started out as many have for the Sens this season, with the early lead. Hoffman scored eight minutes in to start off the scoring. Then with three minutes remaining Oduya took a shot from the point for his first goal as a Senator. The Devils would get back one before the period closed, but the Sens still held the lead at 201 as the period closed.
Second Period
As the second period got underway the Sens held the lead until they got into penalty trouble. The Devils would convert and suddenly it was a tie game halfway through the period and the game. Then in the final minutes of period two, Brian Gibbons scored to give the Devils the lead through two periods.
Third Period
The third period saw the Sens desperately try to get back into the game, but they couldn’t find anything. Then with six minutes remaining the Devils scored to put what seemed like the nail in the Sens’ coffin. However, the game didn’t end there. With just a minute and fifteen seconds remaining Stone scored to bring the Sens within one. Then 40 seconds later, Chris DiDomenico got his first NHL goal and the game was going to overtime.
Overtime And Shootout
Overtime came and went and with the momentum it seemed like the Sens would close out the game, but the Devils shut the door and the game went to the shootout. In what has become a theme for the Sens this season they gave up the extra point and fell in the shootout.
Two Sides To The Story
Now, as we discussed earlier this was a game of perspective for the Ottawa Senators. Let’s look at the positive side first. Down two goals with less than a minute and a half remaining the Ottawa Senators were able to come back and steal a point that they never should have gotten. They showed great resiliency and mental fortitude to not give up in such a dire situation.
Alternatively, this was a game, which although easy to forget given the end game drama, the Sens once led 2-0. For a team that was praised last year for being able to shut down the opposition with just a one goal lead, they have struggled with any lead this season. So yes, it is nice that they got a point while seemingly down and out. However, this is a game the Sens should have won. They never should have been in that situation in the first place.
Next: Ottawa Senators Set To Face The New Jersey Devils
Next Game
It feels like déjà vu saying this, but the Ottawa Senators need to clean up their act when they play next on Monday versus the Montreal Canadiens.