The Ottawa Senators lost their second in as many matchups against the New York Islanders this season, this time by the score of 5-3. Both teams were looking to extend their win streaks and climb up the standings in their talent-loaded divisions.
The Ottawa Senators had the luxury of a six day break after returning from their road trip in Sweden, where they impressed by building on a 4-1 against the Calgary Flames. Overseas, they beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 in overtime and the Minnesota Wild 2-1 in a shootout. The Islanders visit in town ended the Sens’ three game win streak, and expanded their own to the same amount.
It seems as if these matchups come with a lot of injuries. In their first matchup, Erik Brannstrom was victim of a scary injury, and Thomas Chabot’s absence was also announced afterwards. This time, it was Islanders defensemen Sebastian Aho and Adam Pelech that left the game, leaving the Islanders with four defensemen early on. However, that didn’t stop them from defeating the Senators in what was an exciting Friday night matchup.
A Wild Second Frame
The 1-1 score at the end of the first period suggested that this would remain a low scoring affair between the two teams. The final score and the five goals in the span of just over five minutes scored in the second period indicated otherwise.
The first goal of the second period came from Parker Kelly. His line wore down the opponents by cycling the puck, which ended in him blasting a one-time shot behind Semyon Varlamov. This was a nice bit of effort from the Senators, so it’s unfortunate for them that it didn’t count due to a victorious offside challenge by Islanders head coach Lane Lambert and his staff.
The first goal of the second period that counted on the scoreboard came when Oliver Wahlstrom deflected a point shot from Alexander Romanov past Anton Forsberg to make it 2-1. The Islanders followed up with a Mat Barzal power-play goal and then an Anders Lee goal just six seconds later to get the crowd booing.
The Senators needed to be as resilient as they have proven themselves to be at times this season and bounce back. Usually, the first step is to stop the bleeding. But they chose to skip a few steps and scored two quick goals to make the game 4-3 at the end of the period.
The magic ceased in the third, as a rather unlucky goal sealed their fate. A point shot by Noah Dobson hit a home player’s body and an away player’s skate to find itself at the back of the net to make it 5-3 Islanders.
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Overall, this game showed us that the Senators have character and aren’t afraid to play with emotions. Yes, it’s true that the Senators only had one shot in the first 13 minutes of the third period, but they were able to create good chances at the end when it mattered most. Similarly to the takeaway I wrote about their last matchup, sometimes the opposing goalie just outmatches you. Last time it was Ilya Sorokin; this time it was Varlomov. While this wasn’t a goaltending standout game by any means, he was calm and composed in the last minutes of the game. The frustrated look on the Senators players’ faces was warranted.
Senators Standouts
Despite a loss, the Senators had some standouts worth noting. The first player in mind wears number 19.
Drake Batherson opened the scoring for his team as he completed a nice tic-tac-toe goal, which was assisted by Josh Norris and Brady Tkachuk at about the halfway mark of the first period. Although Kyle Palmieri tied the game soon after, that first goal helped set the tone for the Senators later in the game. Later on, he scored a second goal to put the Senators back in the game. He created a lot of good scoring chances for the team along the way as well.
Another notable name is Tim Stutzle, who once again played a dominant game for the Senators by putting up two points. But when he wasn’t putting up points, he was still generating chances and driving the play as he finished with six shots on goal. He also moved the puck very smoothly, especially on the power play.
Finally, Mathieu Joseph continues to cement his spot on the team as he put up two huge assists in the Senators’ attempted comeback. His bounceback season is helping Ottawa alleviate the absence of unsigned forward Shane Pinto following his suspension. And it’s a good story overall, too.
The offensive performances in the loss were very welcomed, but the defense will need to tighten up and avoid a meltdown like it did at the beginning of the second period. Also, let’s hope Joonas Korpisalo will be back soon to guard the net. If not, let’s hope Mads Soogard puts up strong numbers.
Brotherly Love
While this entertaining game ended in a disappointing result, Monday night should be an exciting game for Senators fans as the Florida Panthers visit the Canadian Tire Centre. There have already been some exciting editions of the Tkachuk brother battles thus far since Matthew’s arrival in Florida, and a lot will be at stake for both teams. If there is a game to test the team’s character, it should be this one.
The Panthers do currently have a 12-7-1 record, but they have lost their past two games against strong opponents. The Senators should capitalize on this opportunity to climb up the standings against a divisional opponent.
