Ottawa Senators Postgame: Sens Win in OT, 3rd Win in a Row

Finally, the 2024-25 Ottawa Senators have themselves a three game winning streak! It took some three on three action to finish it off, but Brady Tkachuk came up clutch to seal the deal. Not only is it the Sens third win in a row, they are also 5-1 in their last six. They’re two games over .500 for the first time since the sixth game of the season. Best of all, the Ottawa Senators are in a playoff spot, sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference. Let’s dive into the details of a big 3-2 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins!

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Ullmark’s Incredible Run Continues

In the last back to back situation for the Senators, last Saturday and Sunday, Travis Green opted to give both goalies a game. Given Anton Forsberg’s poor performance against the Islanders in the second game of the back to back, many fans were left frustrated by the decision. It seemed like Green was going with the same plan this time around, but Anton Forsberg’s injury forced Ullmark back in the crease tonight. Well, wouldn’t you know it, Ullmark is indeed capable of playing two nights in a row. He was phenomenal tonight, stopping 25 of the 27 shots he faced. That included a few remarkable saves, most notably on Erik Karlsson, when Ullmark was able to somehow get his stick on a puck that was destined for an empty net. Over his last seven games, Ullmark has stopped 210 of the 221 shots he’s faced. That gives him an insane .950 SV% during that time.

Thomas Chabot Shines

Here’s Chabot’s statline from tonight: one goal, one assist, 24:59 time on ice, three hits, and two blocked shots. Here’s a fun debate to have- who did the Senators coaching change help more- Chabot or Batherson? Both players have played with way more attention to detail, making sure to take care of things in their own zone, all the while continuing to be difference makers in the offensive zone. With Chabot no longer on the top power play unit, he won’t put up the big offensive numbers. He’s also playing the least amount of minutes per game since his rookie season. What’s the result of Chabot being asked to do less? He’s playing the best two way hockey of his entire career.

There was a very random moment from tonight’s game that caught my attention. The puck was dumped into Ottawa’s zone. Chabot was the d-man closest to it, with pressure coming from the Penguins forecheck. Chabot opted to skate as hard as he could to retrieve the puck, and then made a decisive play to have the play leave the Senators zone. In the past, I’ve seen Chabot play a little too relaxed, sometimes allowing the opposition to get to that puck first. This assertive, two-way version of Chabot is a treat to watch.

Additional Notes

The Ottawa Senators penalty kill has been a lot better in the last few games. The key to success in their games against Ducks and Hurricanes was to be more aggressive, while also receiving top-end goaltending. The key tonight? Not taking a single penalty. Why not just do that every game? The Senators have a deep group of forwards, which should pay dividends as the season goes along. Perron is out right now, yet they’re still able to roll four lines. The only forward with under ten minutes of ice-time tonight was Ostapchuk, who was at 9:50. Green deserves credit for trusting the four line approach. It’s time for the Senators to take on the road trip of all road trips. Nine straight road games are coming up! At least they have Christmas to break it up, but this will be an interesting stretch coming up.