5 Takeaways from Senators’ 3-2 Double OT Loss to Hurricanes in Game 2

It was a roller coaster of emotions for the Ottawa Senators throughout the second game of the first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. For a bit, there was doubt about whether the Senators would even get a goal in the series, and then the offense woke up, and the goaltending was saving them all game.

On top of all of that, they suffered through two overtime-winning goals, but had the spark back after one was called off.

Despite the 3-2 loss in double overtime, there are some very important things to take away from this game.

Tkachuk Makes Up for Undisciplined Start

Throughout the first two games of the Senators’ series, Brady Tkachuk has recorded nine penalty minutes. That is a lot of time through two games.

Tkachuk kicked the playoffs off with a fight against Jordan Staal, taking him out of the first five minutes of the game. A stat is floating around online, with credit to the folks at SensCentral for originally finding this out, but the Senators are 12-28-3 when Tkachuk fights.

Now, in Game 2, Tkachuk took a roughing minor just over five minutes into the game. Behind the play, while Dylan Cozens had an offensive-zone possession. This led to an early power play opportunity, which Logan Stankoven capitalized on.

Discipline has been a big focus for the Senators through two games. The Hurricanes have had six power play opportunities so far, plus a bizarre penalty shot in overtime of Game 2. That includes two lengty five-on-three chances for the ‘Canes.

Now, after many were frustrated with his start, Tkachuk had a massive bounce-back throughout the game. He was all over the puck, he had a strong physical presence, and had multiple high-quality chances throughout the rest of the game.

Once overtime hit, Tkachuk came very close to ending it, but Frederik Andersen continued his dominant night, shutting the door on that play. On Jordan Martinook’s overtime-winning goal, Tkachuk had the opportunity to clear the puck, but had his stick knocked from his hands, and the Hurricanes kept possession, and ended up winning. Tough break, but the captain had an excellent game after the penalty.

Senators Show Great Levels of Resilience

As the Senators passed the halfway point of the game, they had officially gone the first 90 minutes of the series without a goal. They only lasted another 47 seconds, though, as Jake Sanderson made an excellent play at the blue line to maintain offensive-zone pressure.

Drake Batherson then, as the low forward on the play, went for a cross-crease pass that ended back on his stick, and he roofed the second chance over Andersen to get the team on the board.

From that moment on, the Senators looked completely rejuvenated. It was as if that one goal gave the team life in the series.

Six minutes later, Cozens broke deep into the Hurricanes’ zone and sent a relatively soft shot onto Andersen, and it ended up going five-hole and in.

The Senators carried this momentum throughout the next three periods worth of hockey, and looked excellent.

Ullmark Out-Duels Andersen in Goalie Showdown Despite Loss

One of the biggest questions about the Senators heading into the playoffs was goaltending. Linus Ullmark has been, without any hesitation, the best player for the Senators through two games.

Despite the loss, Ullmark was without a doubt the better goaltender, but the team was unable to capitalize on so many chances. A common phrase, not limited to hockey, is that you make your own luck. Whatever the Senators did, they ended up with such bad luck with the puck. There is a lack of finishing ability on the team, but there were an unbelievable number of near-misses, posts, and goal-line saves from the Hurricanes. They beat Andersen so many times, but couldn’t get the puck across the line.

According to MoneyPuck, Ullmark finished the game with 4.78 expected goals against, leaving with 1.78 goals saved above expected. Andersen, who was also excellent and deserves credit for his performances through two games, had a 2.29 goals saved above expected. Analytically, it came down to the overtime goal to decide that, but Ullmark had a statement game.

With multiple flashy glove saves, his calmness in the net, and especially coming up big on the penalty shot attempt, he deserves so much praise for this game.

Strange Penalty Shot/Offside Situation Extends Senators’ Hopes

The Senators had a successful 6-0 record when it came to offside challenges in the regular season, and video coach Mike King has been a huge reason for that.

In the dying minutes of the first overtime period, Martinook broke in on a partial breakaway and was on the receiving end of a slash in the hands. There was a delayed penalty shot being called, but the Senators were unable to get possession for nearly a minute.

Mark Jankowski picked up a rebound off of Ullmark’s pads and scored the game-winner, or so they thought.

Now, in overtime, the NHL automatically initiates a review, but there may not have been any reason to look at it if head coach Travis Green didn’t bring so much attention to it, which was likely at the hand of a message from King.

The offside call was very controversial. The decision on the play, according to Elliotte Friedman, was that the league believed Staal did not have control of the puck as he crossed the blue line, and therefore, put himself offside.

Regardless of how it happened, it saved the Senators’ game for the time being.

Martinook had a penalty shot after the goal was called back, and as mentioned above, Ullmark put that one aside.

Senators’ Defensive Depth Shines in OT Loss

With Artem Zub and Tyler Kleven out of the lineup, it was Dennis Gilbert and Lassi Thomson playing in their places.

The two defensemen combined for just 28 minutes, which was surpassed by each other defenseman individually. In limited minutes, both played hard in the defensive zone, kept the Hurricanes’ offense to the outside, and had an expected goals percentage of over 58 percent.

Thomson has been a fantastic story over the last month. It has been a bumpy road between him and the Senators after being selected in the first round of the 2019 draft, but he has been playing well in meaningful games and big minutes at times.

Gilbert has been more than serviceable on the third pair, and in sheltered minutes, he had a strong game, too.

Analytically, Sanderson didn’t have a great game, but that is because he played for so long. Both he and Thomas Chabot eclipsed the 40-minute mark, and the tiredness was growing on both of them.

Chabot had a number of unnecessary turnovers, and Sanderson wasn’t as effective with his stick and skating as he typically is. Neither had a bad game by any means, but in a double-overtime game, the fatigue sets in, and perhaps the depth defensemen could have been given some more time.

The Senators will benefit from a two-day break, both because they will need some extra rest after this game and because it will give both Zub and Kleven another day to prepare for their returns.