Sens’ 2-1 Win Over Rangers Comes at Cost to Defence Corps

The Ottawa Senators hit the road for a crucial back-to-back, opting to hold Linus Ullmark for the 4-point swing in Detroit, opting for backup James Reimer tonight against the weaker New York Rangers.

There was no question from the drop of the puck who was desperate for a win — the Sens came out blitzing the Rangers’ zone. With multiple shots and chances in the first five minutes, the Senators earned a power play off a Taylor Raddysh hook on Drake Batherson.

Shane Pinto opened the scoring on the power play, burying a tight pass from Claude Giroux at the right point while stationed in the high slot. It was great to see them capitalize early on a well-earned opportunity six minutes into the game.

The dominance continued through the first 14 minutes, with the Senators registering 11 shots while the Rangers didn’t record their first until that point. Reimer must have been getting bored in his crease — more spectator than goaltender for much of the opening frame. At times, it looked like the Senators were playing a lower-tier team; the Rangers could barely maintain possession. Ottawa consistently pressured the puck carrier, regained control, got pucks deep, and followed up with an intense offensive-zone cycle. New York looked desperate for the period to end and in need of a spark to change the momentum.

Nick Cousins took a high-sticking penalty in the defensive-zone corner and will need to be more disciplined with his stick in these remaining 12 games. The Senators’ penalty kill did an excellent job keeping shots to the perimeter and taking away passing lanes. Reimer stayed sharp, controlled rebounds, and did exactly what was asked of him.

The Senators finished the first period on the power play after Juuso Pärssinen sent a puck over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty. They moved the puck well and generated a few looks, but the Rangers did a solid job clogging shooting lanes and forcing Ottawa to fire from the boards and the point.

Then, the injury bug hit hard. Thomas Chabot was cross-checked on the injury-plagued right wrist by J.T. Miller at the end of the first period and did not return for the second. To make matters worse, Lassi Thomson left early in the second with a leg injury after falling awkwardly behind the Ottawa net during a puck battle along the boards. Miller was later assessed a double minor for a high stick on Artem Zub that caught him under the visor near the eye. Fortunately, Zub remained in the game. Tim Stützle and Fabian Zetterlund also took awkward falls and appeared uncomfortable on the bench, though both continued playing.

Ottawa extended the lead with a strong forecheck started by Warren Foegele along the Rangers’ left-side boards. He pressured the defenseman into a weak clearing attempt that Lars Eller intercepted near the blue line. Foegele quickly shifted to open ice on the right side, and Eller found him with a crisp pass. Foegele fired it past Igor Shesterkin to give the Sens a 2–0 lead.

To start the third period, the Rangers had as many shots as the Senators had defensemen — just four. New York was clearly looking to take advantage of Ottawa’s fatigued blue line, and found some success seven minutes into the final frame.

Tye Kartye streaked into the Sens’ zone with a step on a tired Jordan Spence. Pinto got caught puck-watching, and the puck slid into the slot to Conor Sheary, who buried it past Reimer, who was scrambling to recover after a mistimed poke check, leaving the net exposed.

Despite some looks near the end, that would be it for the Rags. The Senators closed out the East’s worst team while allowing fewer than 10 shots on goal (an all-time low for any NHL game in the cap era) — one of the most impressive wins in franchise history. That may sound like an overstatement to some, but this was as textbook a defensive performance as you’ll see, especially after losing two left-side defensemen early in the game.

This was easily my favourite game of the season — a true indicator of how Travis Green and his coaching staff have the Senators playing at an elite level, with every player fully dialed into their assignments.

With the defence corps banged up — including Jake Sanderson, Dennis Gilbert, Thomas Chabot, Nick Jensen and Lassi Thomson — the question becomes: who’s next up for the Senators in a crucial, playoff-defining matchup against the Detroit Red Wings? Could we see Carter Yakemchuk draw into the lineup?

We’ll have to wait and see who is healthy enough to suit up in Detroit on the second half of a back-to-back, and which reinforcements will be called upon to rise to the occasion in what shapes up to be a pivotal game.