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Senators 3, Bruins 2 (OT)
November has been a tough month for the Ottawa Senators in recent years, really tough.
They soothed some of that pain Saturday in Boston, winning 3-2 in overtime against a team that went the entire third period without a shot. Let it sink in: Twenty minutes without a shot.
In real time, Senators goalie Linus Ullmark, making his return to Boston, actually went more than an hour without facing a shot.
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Ottawa went into the game 1-5 on the road, so the victory should help the team’s confidence.
Brady Tkachuk snapped in the game-winning goal 21 seconds into overtime.
The Senators’ power play connected with eight seconds left in the first period, when Tkachuk passed the puck from behind the net and Josh Norris dropped to a knee to one-time it past Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman.
Boston tied the game 4:51 into the second period. It started when the Senators failed to clear the puck and Pavel Zach showed some offensive wizardry, spinning and lifting a backhand past Ullmark.
It didn’t take long for Boston to score its second goal; it was 15 seconds later. After Ottawa again couldn’t get the puck beyond its blue-line, Brad Marchand buried a shot past Ullmark.
Michael Amadio, with his first goal as a Senator, tied it 2-2 late in the second period with a wrist shot that Swayman should have had.
STANDING FOR LINUS: In his return to Boston, Ullmark, who was very good during his three National Hockey League seasons with the Bruins, received a standing ovation.
In the 2022-23 season, Ullmark, then with the Bruins, won 40 games, with a terrific 1.89 goals-against average. Swayman, the backup goalie, was also very good, winning 24 times, with a 2.27 goals-against average. Ullmark was awarded the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie.
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STARTS AND STOPS: The Senators have been trying to up their game in the first period. They did a good job of that Saturday, in a tough road matchup, taking a 1-0 lead. Maybe most importantly, the Senators had just one giveaway, compared to eight by the Bruins. Brady Tkachuk was given a slashing penalty with 5:34 left in the period. Senators coach Travis Green didn’t like it; can’t blame him. Didn’t look like there was much there.
NICK OF TIME: When the Senators dealt Jakob Chychrun to Washington and picked up Nick Jensen in return, the thought was that Ottawa was picking up a useful right-handed-shot defenceman, with some good skills in his own end. It’s not like Jensen is a big points guy, but he’s capable of moving the puck and helping out in the offensive zone. Going into Saturday’s game, he was the runaway leader in plus-minus on the Senators at plus-9. Jensen delivered a huge hit near the mid point of the third period on Saturday, drilling Boston’s Cole Koepke into the boards
THE EXTRA PERIOD: The Senators probably should have gotten a power play on the faceoff after Boston’s second goal, when Claude Giroux was clipped in the face by a stick … The Bruins found themselves in a 3-on-1 situation in deep with a bit more than give minutes left in the second period, but didn’t get a shot on goal; sometimes fancy-dancy doesn’t work … Senators defenceman Travis Hamonic was hit in the face by a puck early in the third period. He left to get checked, but returned … If there is talk about the Bruins being a Stanley Cup contender, I’m not so sure, I don’t see it.
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