SENATORS’ LOSING STREAK HITS FIVE GAMES OTTAWA 4
Ottawa scrappy, but the powerful Leafs prove to be too much in Battle of Ontario
The Ottawa Senators battled back Wednesday night, but it wasn’t enough to win this round of the Battle of Ontario.
While the Senators at one point erased a two-goal third-period deficit, the archrival Toronto Maple Leafs escaped with a 5-4 victory at Scotiabank Arena as Ottawa’s losing streak was extended to five games.
Winger Magnus Paajarvi led the way with a two-goal effort while Matt Duchene and Thomas Chabot also chipped in for the Senators against Frederik Andersen. Morgan Rielly, John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Andreas Johnsson and Zach Hyman were able to beat Craig Anderson.
Reilly gave the Leafs the lead at 9:12 of the third and that put a damper on what had been a solid effort by the Senators, but they’re still plagued by defensive errors that turn out to be costly.
The Senators started the third by getting back into the game after a difficult second. Paajarvi tied it up 4-4 only 3:59 into the period by beating Andersen on a tap-in. Chabot had pulled the club to within a goal 40 seconds into the period.
“It was a crazy game, back-andforth, they’re super-dangerous when they get the chances,” Paajarvi said. “We knew that, we just had a span of five minutes in the second that hurt us. We were better in the second, we knew that, we had a good feeling, but then they really came at us.
“They got a couple of goals and that really hurt. We’ve been playing like 50 minutes really good the last couple of games, but we need 60 to win. It’s a tough league.”
The Senators fell apart late in the second. That’s when the Leafs struck for three straight goals to pull out to a 4-2 lead and take control of the game. While the Senators outshot the Leafs 27-23 through 40 minutes, the Leafs struck for three goals in a span of four minutes.
Tavares’s 32nd of the season at 18:20 gave the Leafs a two-goal lead. It came on an odd-man rush, and a frustrated Anderson kicked the puck out of the net. It sure looked like the roof was caving in, especially after Matthews was pretty much untouched as he gave Toronto a 3-2 lead at 16:29.
“We get it back to 4-4, we make a couple of mistakes and they make good on their chances,” said Anderson. “The mistakes we had were self-inflicted. It’s one of those things where we’ve got to clean that up.
“One hundred per cent, it’s frustrating. We’re on a three-onone (on the fourth goal) and they come back and score. It’s taking care of the puck. It’s unfortunate. That’s the type of stuff they thrive on. We get a golden opportunity and we shoot ourselves in the foot coming back the other way.”
They pulled ahead 2-1 to start the second when Duchene scored his 22nd of the season.
With Andersen down on the ice and out of position, Duchene was there to pick up the loose puck and fire high into the net at 1:35.
The Senators got their act together after a slow start and were tied 1-1 with the Leafs after the first period.
Outshot 9-1 after 10 minutes, the Senators slowly started chipping away at the Leafs and taking the play to them. Paajarvi tied it up with 2:42 left in the period when he took a perfect pass from Jean-Gabriel Pageau and beat Andersen to give Ottawa a much-needed boost.
The Senators understood it was going to be a difficult challenge coming into this one, but for the first 10 minutes they really didn’t give themselves much of a chance by forcing Anderson to make big stops.
By the end of the period, each goalie had faced 11 shots.
Coach Guy Boucher had no issue with the effort as the Senators outshot the Leafs 44-30.
“We carried the play for most of the game,” Boucher said. “Some puck management and a few turnovers cost us. It’s a mix of some defensive mistakes, which we know we’ve got to pull through and push that. It’s a team where they don’t need a lot of scoring chances.
“That’s why I said we needed a perfect game before it started.”
IGNORING THE NOISE
The trade deadline can’t come fast enough for the Senators.
One way or another, there will be a lot fewer distractions.
With Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel all set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1, there has been no shortage of talk about their future with the franchise in the media every day.
That’s because it’s an ever-changing story as general manager Pierre Dorion tries to get contract extensions done with the trio. Any of those players not signed will be dealt before the deadline, and the possibility exists that Dzingel may be moved in any case.
The Senators are facing daily questions because it’s a scenario that can change on a daily basis. Duchene, who has been polite and has answered every question from the media, didn’t have much interest in discussing the subject before facing the Leafs.
He said he doesn’t let what’s happening off the ice bother him when he pulls on his No. 95 jersey.
“Just concentrate on the game,” Duchene said Wednesday morning. “I’ve addressed everything a couple of times and, at this point, today is game day against one of the best teams in the league.
“That’s all I’m really worried about. The rest can go when it happens and I’ll deal with it when it needs to be dealt with but it’s about playing a game tonight. That’s it.”
Well, that’s it until the next time Stone, Duchene or Dzingel is asked about the situation, but the reality is this won’t end for anybody until the deadline passes at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 25. At that point, all the decisions will be made and the parties involved are going to have to live with them.
The Senators would like to keep all three, but that may not be realistic. In the not-too-distant future, Dorion will begin having serious trade talks with teams interested in Stone and Duchene. Yes, the team has fielded calls from clubs that have interest, however the focus is on signing them.
Boucher said there’s not much discussion in the room regarding the situation all these players are in right now.
“I don’t deal with it,” Boucher said. “In our room, we don’t talk about that. That’s outside of the realm of what I have to do. My job is to focus on the players who are here, now, today against the Leafs and that’s all we talk about.”