Almost There But Not Quite: Sens Lose Game 2, 3-2 In Overtime
One Bad Giveaway, One Missed Opportunity and the Sens are down 2-0 in the series
Coming off a painful Game 1 loss, the Ottawa Senators were looking get back into their first round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs. A split would do wonders for this young team looking for confidence and experience.
The first period started with some high-energy plays, and the Sens seemed to be maybe less nervous and more involved than at the outset of Game 1’s debacle. Unfortunately, just like last game, the Leafs got the upper hand quickly and less than 5 minutes into the game, they scored as Drake Batherson let Morgan Rielly scoop the puck into the gaping space Linus Ullmark had left after William Nylander feathered a nice pass to the backdoor.
In a style reminiscent of Game 1, the Sens were outshooting the Leafs but somehow still giving up the best chances. Ullmark looked a bit shaky but was holding his ground while on the other end, Anthony Stolarz was trying every technique humanly possible to keep pucks out, including just laying inside the net at one point. Frustratingly, it was working.
The Sens‘ power play got an opportunity early, and it did well even though they failed to score. The bad news is that the penalty kill is still very concerning, as the Leafs only needed a few seconds to make it 2-0 on their first power play opportunity. You would be forgiven for believing you were experiencing a sense of deja vu.
The rest of the first period was as you expected from a team that finds themselves once again down 2-0 in a game where they had hoped for a better fate. The Sens started settling down by the end of the period, and Ullmark looked more comfortable in the net, but the team still looked like the newcomers to the postseason and a daunting deficit was staring them down.
The second period is where the change in momentum really started to take hold. I am not sure what Travis Green, Claude Giroux, Brady Tkachuk, or all three did in the first intermission, but it must have worked. As the period went on, the Sens went from being timid to finishing their passes and, at times, even dominating the play.
Slowly the shot difference began to really flatter Ottawa, but the score was still 2-0. The Sens got a timely power play with a golden opportunity to get back into the game and through the loud "Brady Sucks" chants, the Captain delivered with a messy goal that started to slowly drain the life out of the entire city of Toronto.
Power play goal for Ottawa! Scored by Brady Tkachuk with 04:19 remaining in the 2nd period. Assisted by Claude Giroux and Thomas Chabot. Toronto: 2 Ottawa: 1 #OTTvsTOR #LeafsForever #GoSensGo
— NHL Goals (@nhlgoals.bsky.social) April 22, 2025 at 9:16 PM
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You could really feel the energy shift in the arena when the puck crossed the line. The Sens came out of the second period with the confidence they needed and a very real chance of winning this game.
While the third period started with the Sens failing to manufacture any shots on net, they did seem to get stronger as it went by. Ullmark was back in form and making the timely saves this team needed.
When they say you make your own luck, they weren't kidding. It seems the better you play, the more things go your way. When Thomas Chabot's stick hit Mitch Marner's face late in the third, causing him to bleed, we all expected the worst. However, upon further review, the refs believed Chabot could do no wrong and reversed the call. The refs decided that the hit came as a result of a follow-through play rather than the intention to injure, and frankly, these calls usually never go the Sens' way.
Ottawa didn't let this opportunity go to waste and by the time they tied the game thanks to Adam Gaudette, this team has turned all the momentum to their advantage. Particularly, Tim Stutzle, who was flying everywhere. It seems inevitable that they'd score the tying goal but it didn't come from the expected star, instead, we got a nice little crystal surprise:
Ottawa goal! Scored by Adam Gaudette with 05:13 remaining in the 3rd period. Assisted by Tyler Kleven and Tim Stützle. Toronto: 2 Ottawa: 2 #OTTvsTOR #LeafsForever #GoSensGo
— NHL Goals (@nhlgoals.bsky.social) April 22, 2025 at 10:16 PM
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I won't lie, the way the Sens played for the remainder of the third, I was pretty sure they'd close the deal in regulation. While overtime is stressful, it can be fun in the playoffs. It looked promising at first with the team exchanging chances and the Sens looking as sharp as they did in the third until of course one silly mistake happened. One bad pass from a player who has been making odd decisions all game resulted in the worst player possible to win the game in overtime.
Drake Batherson had a mixed game, but nothing can explain what happened to him with the errant pass in overtime that landed on Simon Benoit's stick who ran a 2-on-4 (??) with Max Domi to perfection and game over. Not only was the giveaway maddening but the way Domi was allowed to coast into the zone (after stepping around a weak check attempt by Batherson) was just bewildering. A heartbreaking end to a game that was really starting to feel like it was in reach, and a 2-0 series deficit as a result.
They say you're not in trouble until you lose at home and the Sens did look really good today, but being down 2-0 is still a tough battle and puts a lot of pressure on Game 3. What's more frustrating is this was a very winnable game for the Sens, and they finally started to click, but hey, they've gone on 4-game winning streaks before, so no need to worry!
The major highlights of the game were Tim Stutzle and, eventually, Ullmark, both of whom found their groove as the game went on. Let's hope this team has better luck at home so they at least have a fighting chance in this series!
