Ottawa Senators Postgame: Sens Survive Devils in 3-2 Win

It’s official, the Ottawa Senators have surpassed their point total of last season. They also tied their win total from a season ago, with 13 games to play. They currently sit at 37 wins and 79 points after their 3-2 win against the New Jersey Devils tonight. The Sens were able to end a two game losing streak with a much needed road win, helping them get back to .500 away from home. It was a rock solid road performance, until the final minute.

The Senators could not put the game away with an empty net or even a clearance of the defensive zone, leading to the Devils getting to within one with 23 seconds to go. The Devils then did everything they could to tie the game in the dying seconds, but somehow couldn’t find the back of the net, as the Senators held on, barely. Let’s dive into the details.

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Zub Saves the Day

Above I mentioned the Devils somehow not being able to find the back of the net. The main reason was Artem Zub. With Linus Ullmark out of the play, Zub was in the blue crease, battling for the puck to stop this game from going to overtime. He was, of course, successful in his battle. It was a solid game for Zub as a whole, as he ate up 23:35 of ice-time and blocked three shots. He’s never the flashiest of players, but the Ottawa Senators are a lot better with Zub in their lineup. Even better is when Zub is at his best. Tonight seemed like one of those nights.

Ullmark’s Solid Performance

This was one of those games that didn’t have a true standout from the Sens side. No player had more than one point. That’s when it’s time to give credit to the goalie. Ullmark’s had a couple shaky starts as of late, including getting pulled in his last start against Colorado. Tonight, he was exactly what the Senators needed him to be, stopping 26 of 28 shots, earning his 19th win of the season. Now’s the time for Ullmark to show himself to be a true number one goalie. It’s crunch time, with a playoff spot on the line. More starts like this will help solidify the belief that Ullmark is indeed that go-to goalie.

Additional Notes

Brady Tkachuk has clearly been fighting some type of injury, but good on him for fighting through it tonight, and scoring a big goal along the way. In the end, he played just 13:23 tonight, his lowest total of the season. The Senators have to become better finishers. Claude Giroux missed a glorious chance on what was essentially an empty net. Fabian Zetterlund missed a great chance as well. Drake Batherson had a few great chances that he couldn’t finish. The big problem is at even strength- they’re third worst in the NHL right now in goals at five on five. Next up for the Senators, five straight games against non-playoff teams. They need to take advantage of that.