Ottawa Senators Postgame: Brady Tkachuk the OT Hero

This was very close to being an article praising Igor Shesterkin. I was already deep into the stats on how he has the Ottawa Senators number. He was playing the role of the brick wall all game long, until he wasn’t. The Senators managed to come back from being down 3-1 halfway through the third period. Then, it was Brady Tkachuk ending things in overtime with a clutch goal in his 500th career game. Let’s dive into the details on a big Senators victory!

READ MORE: Getting to Know Fabian Zetterlund

Strong Debut From Dylan Cozens

After the massive trade that sent Norris to Buffalo in exchange for Cozens, all eyes were on Cozens in his Ottawa Senators debut today. It’s safe to say this type of debut will help Cozens earn the trust of both his teammates and the fanbase. He assisted on Ridly Greig’s goal with some nice work in front of the net. His physicality was apparent all game long, leading either team with nine hits in his 17:27 of ice-time. He was playing on a line with Drake Batherson, who threw seven hits himself. Cozens played in all situations, including 1:39 on the penalty kill.  If his first game is any indication, a fresh start is exactly what Cozens needed.

Tkachuk’s Heroics

Brady Tkachuk ended his 500th career game in style with the overtime winner. That’s goals in five straight games for Tkachuk, who was noticeable all game long. He threw four hits and scored two goals on nine shots. Tkachuk’s had quite the season. He went through the worst scoring slump of his career, he was the talk of the hockey world at the 4 Nations, but followed that up by receiving some negativity for not being able to play upon his return from that tournament. To Tkachuk’s credit, he’s been phenomenal since he returned. He’s scored five goals in these last four games, and has been the leading force, both offensively and physically, during that time.

Additional Notes

Curious about Dennis Gilbert’s debut? He played just over six minutes, registering three hits and was a minus one. That was a terrible first goal on Ullmark. He hasn’t quite been as good as you’d hope since his return from injury. To his credit, he did make a few big saves to keep this game close. Tim Stützle was absolutely flying today. Somehow he was held off the scoresheet through regulation, but wouldn’t you know it, he ends the game in style with the nice pass to Tkachuk for the winner. Michael Amadio’s been playing well lately. He’s up to five goals in his last 11 games. Good news for Sens fans, there will be another debut in Monday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. Fabian Zetterlund will have his chance to help in the playoff push!