Senators Postgame: A Brave Fight, Leafs Claim Series

The Senators fought valiantly, but couldn’t force a game seven as the Maple Leafs finished the series off with a 4-2 victory in Game 6 at Canadian Tire Centre.

The Senators played with plenty of energy and physicality, but made a few bad defensive mistakes to end up in a ditch they were never able to get out of. The season is over, but the hope is just beginning.

The Senators were never without fight.

Trailing 2-0 partway through the second, Brady Tkachuk scored a deflection goal to cut the lead in half. Then, with under eight minutes to go in the third, David Perron tied the game with a clutch goal. It looked like this game could be heading to overtime for the fourth time in the series, but with just under six minutes to go, Max Pacioretty scored the game winner as he was left open in the slot. An empty netter finished this game with the same score as the series, 4-2. Let’s dive into the details.

READ MORE: The History of the Battle of Ontario

Sloppy Mistakes

From the Brady Tkachuk penalty leading to the first goal, to the Nick Jensen turnover leading to the second, and then leaving Pacioretty open for the game winner, the Senators made too many mistakes in this game. After a fantastic defensive performance in game five, the Senators weren’t nearly as detail oriented in this game. Those three mistakes leading to the goals against were only a few of many made by the Sens in this game. They weren’t able to find the balance between playing physically aggressive and staying defensively sound. It was interesting to see them take a step back from the all-out physical attack in game five, throwing just 25 hits. Tonight, they registered 56 hits, but perhaps at the cost of a better defensive game at times. Another area of concern- faceoffs. They lost 60% of the draws tonight, something that plagued them throughout the series.

Stützle the Standout Senator

Stützle didn’t register a point in this game, but he looked like a true No. 1 center with his play tonight. He had the look of a player who was willing to do whatever it took to win. He had a massive blocked shot, threw six hits, and created so many offensive opportunities with his speed and tenacity. He showed no fear, went to all the dirty areas, and was relentless with his effort. His first-ever playoff series ends with him scoring two goals, five points, and registering a team high 34 hits.

Additional Notes

Sanderson was at only 14:14 time on ice through two periods. That comes after 27:21 per game in the first five games of the series. I thought he was set up to play a ton in the third. So I was surprised to see him play so sparingly in the third, especially in the first dozen minutes. In the end he played under seven minutes in the third, a total of 21:07 for the game. That’s tough to explain. Batherson’s rough series didn’t get any better tonight. He was a minus two and once again generated no offense. The Senators needed more from him and the second line. Both Giroux and Perron showed why veterans with experience are so important in the playoffs. On the other side, Jensen, Amadio and Cousins weren’t at their best. Brady Tkachuk’s first ever playoff series: six games, four goals, seven points. Not too shabby. I’ll end with this: Go Panthers Go.