The Ottawa Senators’ seven-game road trip is off to an excellent start. Tim Stützle had two points, including the game winning goal in the third as the Sens defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on Saturday night. After their victory in Anaheim on Thursday, it’s the second time in three days the Senators rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win in California, 3-2.
The game marked the return of Thomas Chabot after his November 11th upper body injury. However, on a late third-period power play, he appeared to injure himself again while following through on a wrist shot from the point. He left the ice and was in visible discomfort on the bench in the final few minutes.
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Just over a minute into the game, Will Smith gave the Senators a slap in the face, appearing to open the scoring 1:27 into the first period, but his goal was overturned on an offside challenge.
The Senators struck first on the power play at the 7:50 mark of the first period. Tim Stützle carried the puck down the left wing and appeared to be trying to hit Claude Giroux on the far side, but his hard pass was redirected into the net by Dylan Cozens in the slot. Cozens’ eighth goal of the year made it 1–0.
With less than four minutes to go in the first, the Sharks tied things up on their own power play. John Klingberg’s wrist shot beat a screened Linus Ullmark to make it 1–1.
Just under eight minutes into the second, after a poor neutral zone turnover by Stützle, Barclay Goodrow made it 2–1 for the Sharks. Alex Wennberg appeared to smack home a rebound in the slot, but they ruled the puck went in off a falling Goodrow to give San Jose the lead.
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The Senators have been waiting for Fabian Zetterlund to recapture the scoring form he once showed in San Jose, and a return to the Bay Area seemed to serve him well. Zetterlund, who had only one goal in his previous 20 games, broke in over the blue line and absolutely ripped one home to tie the game at 2. It was his first goal in San Jose since the Sharks traded him last March.
With under seven minutes to play, a great stretch pass from Jake Sanderson sent the Senators in on a 2-on-0 with Drake Batherson and Nick Cousins. After a chaotic finish to the play, the puck somehow ended up sitting right on the goal line. Stützle out-hustled everyone to jam in the loose puck for what would stand as the game-winning goal.
Ullmark made 17 saves, including a couple of beauties from close range in the dying seconds.
With the win, the Senators improve to 11-6-4 on the season. After a flat 2-4-1 start to the season, start, they’ve gone 9-2-3 since.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
