Sanderson Saves the Senators With Clutch Performance

Facing elimination, the Senators found themselves in their third straight overtime game against the Maple Leafs. At some point, someone has to play the role of hero. Enter Jake Sanderson. With time winding down in the first overtime, Sanderson kept the puck in at the blue line and threw a high wrist shot past Anthony Stolarz for the Senators first playoff win since 2017. Of course, there was a lot more to the game than just the season saving moment. Let’s dive into the details!

READ MORE: The History of the Battle of Ontario

Sanderson’s Heroics

Remember back in 2020, when the Senators selection of Jake Sanderson fifth overall caused some debate as to whether they had made the wrong pick? At this point, he would probably go first overall in a re-draft. The Sanderson overtime goal, his first career playoff goal, was only a fraction of the value he provided for the Senators last night. He played over 30 minutes, set up Tim Stützle for the game’s first goal, and was one of the primary penalty killers for a unit that kept the Leafs scoreless on the power play. In order for the Sens to beat the Leafs, Sanderson needed to be the best d-man on the ice. That’s exactly what he was last night.

Tyler Kleven Comes Up Clutch

Talk about elevating your play in the playoffs. This season, Tyler Kleven averaged 14:27 of ice-time per game. Last night, he ate up 23 minutes, marking a career high. He registered four hits, three blocked shots, and he was instrumental in the game winning goal. He received the puck at his own blue line. Rather than dump the puck in, he decided to skate it into the zone which made all the difference. His backhand was stopped but the puck ended up at the blue line where Sanderson finished the game off. Kleven also made a great defensive play in this game, whacking a puck away out of the air in the crease that looked to be heading into the net. Imagine playing an elimination playoff game in your first full season and being asked to play more than you ever have before. What a clutch performance.

Penalty Kill Comes Up Big

In game four, the Senators finally won the battle against the Leafs power play. Not only did they hold the Leafs scoreless on four attempts, but Shane Pinto managed to score a shorthanded goal as well.  Gaudette, Chabot and Jensen played an important role killing off some time. The biggest contributors, though, were Greig, Giroux, Pinto, Zub, and Sanderson. They all played at least three and half minutes on the penalty kill. Zub and Pinto were both closer to six minutes.  Of course, the goalie always ends up as the most important penalty killer. Linus Ullmark deserves a lot of credit. He made eight saves while down a man. When Drake Batherson took a four minute penalty in overtime, most fans likely thought the series was over. The guys listed above came up clutch, though, keeping the series alive.

Additional Notes

Brady Tkachuk’s hit on Holmberg to start the play up the ice that led to the Perron goal is the type of play all Sens fans have been craving since the start of this series. Two guys that need to be a whole lot better- Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson. Cozens won just one of his eight faceoffs and hasn’t registered a point in the last three games. Batherson, meanwhile, has been struggling mightily. He’s not scoring and he’s taken some awful penalties. After just 30 penalty minutes all season, he’s up to 10 in four playoff games. Between missing the net and having their shots blocked, the Sens have had all sorts of trouble testing Stolarz. He’s made just 35 saves in the last two games combined. If the Sens could get their shots through, Stolarz hasn’t looked all that confident lately.