Game Recap: Senators Fight off Kraken for Crucial Two Points

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 09: Alex DeBrincat #12 of the Ottawa Senators celebrates his game-winning goal against the Seattle Kraken during the third period at Climate Pledge Arena on March 09, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 09: Alex DeBrincat #12 of the Ottawa Senators celebrates his game-winning goal against the Seattle Kraken during the third period at Climate Pledge Arena on March 09, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Alex DeBrincat #12 (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Alex DeBrincat #12 (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

DeBrincat’s late goal leads Senators to 5-4 win over Kraken

Despite squandering a three-goal lead, the Ottawa Senators responded and pulled out an impressive victory in Seattle, picking up a crucial two points in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

First Period

The Senators came flying out of the gates, scoring 3 goals in the first 8 minutes of the contest, including Jakob Chychrun’s 2nd as a Senator and Patrick Brown’s marker in his first game with his new team.

Shane Pinto would start off the action just 4 minutes into the game with his 17th of the season off a rebound, assisted by Nick Holden and Jakob Chychrun. Not long after Chychrun would get on the score sheet once again, taking a nice feed from Nick Holden and finding the top shelf:

A Patrick Brown wrist shot would squeak its way past Philipp Grubauer and the Senators were seemingly in control of the game.

However, the momentum would switch on a Jared McCann shorthanded marker that took an unfortunate bounce off Thomas Chabot. The Senators exit the opening frame with a 3-1 advantage.

Second Period

Things would continue to fall apart for the Senators as the game continued to progress, Jaden Schwartz and Jared McCann would both score in the middle frame to level the game.


An unfortunate bounce led to McCan’s second of the game, knotting the game all up at 3’s heading into the final period.

Third Period

The Kraken continued to pile the pressure on a desperate Senators squad, striking once again just over 3 minutes into the 3rd, thanks to a precise shot by defenceman Vince Dunn. Not long after, Claude Giroux was able to provide some magic for a Senators team that was desperately in need of a spark, as he took a Tim Stützle pass and wired it over the glove of Grubauer.

As the minutes ticked down in the final period it began to look like this battle was heading for overtime, however, with just under 3 minutes left the Senators got their break; an Alex DeBrincat cross-crease pass deflected home off a Kraken defenceman, giving the Senators a 5-4 lead late in the contest.

Mads Søgaard stopped 29 of the 33 shots directed his way in a winning effort, while Philipp Grubauer allowed 5 goals on 31 shots in a losing effort for the Kraken.

The Ottawa Senators (33-27-4) find themselves 4 points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, with 1 game in hand.