The Senators will go into the Olympic break with a win, thanks to Tim Stützle’s overtime goal to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. This was the Senators third one goal win of the season against the Flyers. All three games have been similar low scoring games where chances have been hard to come by. It looked as though James Reimer was headed for his first shutout as a Senator, but a late Jamie Drysdale goal sent this game to overtime. That’s where Stützle played the role of hero. Let’s dive into the details on the Senators fifth win in their last six games.
Stützle Saves the Day
This was a quiet night for the best players on both sides of the ice. Part of that is the defensive style of these two teams, as any type of space was hard to come by. For Stützle, he registered just one shot all game. That of course was in overtime, where he scored a beauty on a breakaway. That gives Stützle goals in five straight, and points in seven in a row. He’s on pace for 40 goals and has already surpassed his 24 goals from a season ago.
Nick Cousins’ Great Effort
Nick Cousins scored his eighth goal of the season in typical Cousins fashion, going to the net for a rebound. You can always tell when a player like Cousins is playing well, because Travis Green loves to reward his energy players with additional ice-time. Cousins averages under 11 minutes of time on ice per game, but tonight played just under 17 minutes. He led both teams in hits with five. Signed to a one year contract in the offseason for just $825,000, Cousins has been a great value player all season long.
Additional Notes
The Senators are an elite shot suppression team. That continued tonight, giving up just 15 shots. That’s now six times in their last seven games that they have given up under 20 shots. James Reimer obviously wasn’t busy, but he made some nice saves tonight. Brady Tkachuk gave the puck away in overtime after falling and almost cost the Sens a point. Instead, the puck comes back up the ice, Tkachuk finds Stützle and Sens fans are happy.
The Senators head into the Olympic break with 63 points in 57 games. Last season, they had 62 points through 57 games. Of course, this season they’re dealing with a loaded Atlantic Division. Now, time for a break! Let’s hope the Sens going to the Olympics come back healthy, and the team comes back ready to roll.
Danny was born and raised in Ottawa, and continues to live in the city today. He has followed the … More about Danny McCloskey