The Ottawa Senators generally come up snake eyes in Vegas, but the house doesn’t always win.
The Senators entered the game on Wednesday night with a 1-12-1 record against Vegas but finally conquered the Knights, 4-3. It figures that Shane Pinto would come up big in Vegas. He scored once and also had the only goal in the shootout.
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Jake Sanderson led the Senators offence with a goal and two assists, Claude Giroux and Tim Stutzle each had two assists, and Linus Ullmark made 32 saves, including a few beauties in the third period and in the shootout.
The Senators opened the scoring just 51 seconds into the game. Shane Pinto’s harmless-looking, bad-angle wrist shot from the bottom of the circle somehow leaked through Vegas goalie Akira Schmid, a terrible goal by anyone’s measure. Pinto’s 11th goal of the season, tying him with Tim Stützle for the club lead, gave the Sens a 1–0 lead.
Jake Sanderson added to Ottawa’s lead on the power play just over 13 minutes into the game. Claude Giroux, standing at the top of the left circle, got it back to Sanderson at the top of the umbrella, and he one-timed a slap shot off the post and in past a screened Schmid.
With just over 3 minutes remaining in the first, Mitch Marner took a long stretch pass from Shea Theodore and dropped it for Brett Howden.
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But the Senators restored their two-goal lead with just 17 seconds left in the period. Tim Stützle sprinted past everyone down the left wing and centered to Drake Batherson, who one-timed a snapshot past Schmid to make it 3–1 after one.
Just over 2 minutes into the second, Jack Eichel cut the lead to 3–2. Down at the goal line, Eichel found a loose puck and crammed in a backhand.
That score held up until the third, when former Senator Mark Stone tied it with a fluky power-play goal. Stone’s centering pass to the front of the net bounced off Stützle’s skate and in.
That power play was set up by a controversial high sticking call, as it appeared Eichel skated right into it. It was the second such penalty of the game, the first coming earlier in the period with Giroux down on the ice and getting called for tripping when Eichel skated over top of him and fell.
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The Senators held on in a one-sided third period, getting outshot 11-5, but still clinching a point on the road.
This was the ninth overtime game this season for Vegas, which has only won one of those games. Ivan Barbashev had the best chance of ending the game in OT, charging in alone on Ullmark and ringing one off the post.
Shane Pinto had the only goal of the shootout for the Senators, who improved to 12-7-4 on the season. Their next game is on Friday at St Louis, where Brady Tkachuk is slated to return to the lineup.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
This article was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Read more:
Senators Prospect Watch: Seven Future Sens Who Are Getting Noticed
Former Senators Prospect Finally Finds NHL Home With Rival Boston Bruins
Without His Wingman, Sens Top Gun Tim Stützle Continues Relentless Drive To Improve
NHL Insider Says Senators Are ‘Looking To Hit A Home Run’ On The Trade Market
Senators Have Big UFA Contract Decisions In Next Few Years (Who Stays And Who Goes?)
Read the full article here
