Ottawa scores OT win over Montreal
Ottawa edges Canadiens 3-2 with winger Tkachuk's goal in overtime
The Senators proved they can win without star defenceman Thomas Chabot.
SENATORS 3, CANADIENS 2
Brady Tkachuk finally found the answer to the stingy goaltending of Jake Allen late Sunday, giving the Ottawa Senators a 3-2 overtime victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
After Allen stoned the Senators over and over and over again late in regulation and in overtime — Tkachuk and Connor Brown were stopped on earlier breakaways and Erik Brannstrom was robbed on a two-on-one break in the extra session — Tkachuk finally flipped a puck past the Canadiens goaltender for the winning goal.
It was a successful return home to Canadian Tire Centre for the Senators following an extended road trip. With the victory, the Senators also proved they can win without star defenceman Thomas Chabot, who missed the game due to an upper body injury.
The Senators have now taken two of three games from the Canadiens this season and they finished off Sunday's contest in style, outshooting the Canadiens 6-0 in overtime.
“When we get to those close games, late in the third and into overtime, we don't just want to get it to overtime, we want to win,” said Tkachuk of the aggressiveness in the extra session.
“We want to keep attacking and keep creating chances and taking advantage of the chances we have. That was the mentality we had and I think that was a great moment for our group.”
The Senators outshot Montreal 33-32 during regulation and Drake Batherson had a chance to win it for Ottawa with 1:40 remaining in the back-and-forth third period, but he was robbed by Allen on a breakaway.
Canadiens winger Corey Perry also continues to show he's not quite done yet, living yet another life with Montreal. Perry tied the game 2-2 with 5:25 left in the third period, deking around Senators defenceman Erik Gudbranson and tucking the puck past goaltender Matt Murray.
That goal erased the 2-1 lead the Senators had taken when rookie Josh Norris scored 3:33 into the third. The Norris deflection from outside the crease sailed over the head of Allen. Norris, who has four goals and seven assists, is in the early hunt for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.
“I was just hoping that the puck kept going and the goalie didn't see it,” said Norris. “Luckily, it just kind of went over his shoulder and the same thing with (Batherson's) goal, too. Sometimes you get breaks like that, and I thought we deserved them.”
After Nick Suzuki of the Canadiens and Batherson exchanged first-period goals, the clubs played a scoreless second period.
The Senators' power play continues to be a source of concern,
failing to connect on four chances through the opening 40 minutes. They entered the game ranked 28th in the NHL with the man advantage and now haven't scored since a Colin White goal on Feb. 6, a stretch of eight games.
At times, the Senators' defence was hemmed in in its own end and Artem Zub had a particularly difficult second period. Brannstrom, however, flashed some slick skating in bringing the puck out of his own end, answering some of the issues the Senators face when Chabot is not in the lineup.
Indeed, the absence of Chabot due to an undisclosed upperbody injury for the second consecutive game left a huge void on the Senators defence. Braydon Coburn came also came off the taxi squad and replaced Christian Wolanin.
Chabot took part in the club's Sunday morning skate and was originally hopeful he would be able to play.
“You hate to be sitting up there (in the press box) and watching the guys,” said Chabot, who also sat out Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Maple Leafs. “You want to be out there helping the team, but at the same time, if you don't feel like at certain moments in a game you can't play the way you want to play, you've got to take a step back.”
The Senators, however, are taking a longer-term view of the injury, not wanting to risk losing Chabot for an extended period.
The other change for the Senators was the insertion of Michael Haley on the fourth line. Matthew Peca, who played in that spot Thursday, was shipped back to the taxi squad.
The Canadiens came in to Ottawa after losing 5-3 to the Maple Leafs at home on Saturday, having slipped into fourth in the North Division standings.
After Carey Price played in goal Saturday, Allen drew the start in goal against the Senators. Allen stopped 34 of 35 shots in a 2-1 victory over the Senators on Feb. 6.
The Canadiens were rolling early. Suzuki scored on the first shot against Murray only 1:17 in, capitalizing on a turnover by Evgenii Dadonov at the Canadiens blue line.
The Senators rallied from there, tying the game when Batherson drove to the net and caught a break when his shot deflected off the stick of Alexander Romanov, over Allen's head and into the net.