Senators lose 5-3 at home to Vegas
Pair of late Vegas goals trump Ottawa’s surge
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 5, SENATORS 3
The Ottawa Senators battled back Thursday night but came away empty-handed. And this result wasn’t without controversy. While the Senators were able to erase a two-goal, third-period lead, the effort fell short as they dropped a 5-3 decision to the Vegas Golden Knights in front of 15,213 at Canadian Tire Centre. Though Thomas Chabot, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel did the scoring on Marc-Andre Fleury for the Senators, the Knights got timely goals from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, William Carrier, Nick Holden, Shea Theodore and Jonathan Marchessault. The Senators were livid about Bellemare’s goal with 7:59 left in the third. With Carrier on top of him, Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson wasn’t able to get up to make the save. The Senators challenged for interference, but it was ruled a goal. Anderson wasn’t happy, because he couldn’t move, and was giving the officials an earful late in the third period. It was ruled a goal because the league believed Anderson tripped up Carrier, but it didn’t look like the Senators were buying that. “The situation room determined that Anderson initiated contact with Carrier, who was outside the goal crease prior to the goal,” the league said in its explanation of allowing the goal. Senators head coach Guy Boucher didn’t like it, either. “Listen, I don’t know anymore,” said a frustrated Boucher. “All of us together, we just don’t know anymore. We’ll let them decide and that’s it. Whether it’s our game or somebody else’s game, I guess that’s why I’m not paid for those decisions.” Added Duchene: “We were surprised. That’s for sure. I’m not going to say more than that. If you can keep it to a one-goal game, it’s pretty deflating.” Only 1:15 after the Senators tied it up, the Knights pulled ahead 4-3 on Carrier’s second of the season. He was able to battle off a check to beat Anderson with a backhander at 9:15 to restore the lead for Vegas. In a span of 1:04, the Senators erased the Knights’ two-goal lead and tied it up 3-3. After a scramble in front, the puck landed on Chabot’s stick and he fired into an empty net at 8:01 for his fifth of the season. Boucher had changed all the line combinations in the third to get some offence going and it worked. Returning to the lineup after a three-week absence with a torn ligament, rookie Brady Tkachuk skated with Mark Stone and Duchene. While Dzingel started the game there, he skated with Chris Tierney and Bobby Ryan in the third. Dzingel turned it into a one-goal game with his seventh of the year when he beat Fleury on the glove side at 6:57. “We battled back hard, we just had a bad start,” Dzingel said. “You can’t give a team like that a couple-of-goal lead. It’s tough when you battle back after that. We have to have a better start.” Trailing 3-1 after 40 minutes, the Senators had been outshot 28-18 by the Knights. While they fell behind 3-0 with only 2:21 left in the second, Duchene’s fifth of the season, 29 seconds later, got Ottawa on the board. He went to the net and pushed the puck by Fleury to give the Senators some hope going into the third period. You don’t see players drop the gloves much anymore, but Mark Borowiecki and Ryan Reaves had a good bout with 2:32 left in the second period. It was right after the Knights pulled ahead 3-0 and perhaps that sparked the bench a bit. The Senators were their own worst enemies in the first. They fell behind 2-0 as they allowed Vegas to score twice on the power play. The second one was a potential back-breaker. It came on a one-timer by Theodore from the point with only 20 seconds left in the period. While the Senators forced Fleury to make some good stops by pushing the pace, it was Marchessault who opened the scoring with his seventh of the season. He fired it by Anderson on the stick side. “I was proud of the way the boys battled,” Duchene said. “I thought we did some really good things. When you tie it 3-3 in the third, it could go either way. We had the momentum and it’s a tough way to lose.” ANDERSON FEELING FINE The 37-year-old Anderson made his 13th consecutive appearance in the Senators’ net. Anderson doesn’t mind the additional duty and the coaching staff has done a good job working with training staff to make sure he’s getting the proper rest. “Days off for practice is going to be key,” said Anderson before facing the Knights. “Staying in the gym, we’ve kind of got a good regimen in there, as far as physical activity to flush the legs and stay fresh. “We’re doing the right things right now and every day I’m coming to the rink for game day fresh, with a clear mind and energized emotionally. That’s the key now — can we stay energized, not just physically but emotionally. That’s been the key so far.” THE LAST WORDS The Senators could soon have more good news on the injury front. Forward Zack Smith, who suffered a facial fracture after taking a skate to his face Oct. 27 in Colorado, is ahead of schedule and could return in the next seven days. Smith skated in a non-contact jersey on Thursday while wearing a full shield and could play during the club’s next homestand. “We’re looking at maybe a week. It’s a lot faster than we thought and it’s all positive,” Boucher said. “With the cage, it gives him the possibility of playing. Right now, it’s about getting in shape, giving him a week for things to heal a bit better and he’s ready to go.”