Ottawa Senators Lose 2-1 to Shorthanded Anaheim Ducks Because of Course They Do

The first period of this game pretty much lived up to the billing with both teams combining for just eleven shots. Naturally that means the Ducks didn't really test Mads Søgaard all that much but it did feel as though Søgaard's confidence help contribute to the offensive push that led to the opening goal for the Senators.

Living legend Artem Zub got Ottawa on the board first with a seeing-eye point shot at just under three minutes in. You always love to score on your team's second shot of the game. *Editor's note, Mark Kastelic tipped this puck and got credit for the goal.

Other than Zub's (Kastelic) goal, the first period didn't yield too much entertainment. I have to give credit to the fourth line for drawing the first penalty of the game in the defensive zone and for playing with as much purpose as any of Ottawa's lines. Ottawa's powerplay, you'll never believe this, got a lot of good looks but couldn't convert. After the first goal and said powerplay, the Sens instinctively sat back and it felt all but inevitable that the Ducks would tie it up. My money says another goaltender would have conceded a back-breaking goal but not Mads!

The period wrapped up with some weird four-on-four hockey that felt like overtime minus the context. On paper Ottawa should have walked out of the frame with a 3-0 lead but I'll take mediocrity over another blown lead any day.

Ottawa started the second period in very Sensesque fashion with the occasional good look but way too many soft touches and little commitment. As you probably already know, this led to the Ducks scoring the next goal of the game thanks to some passive defence.

Ottawa got a powerplay thanks to some hustle from Mathieu Joseph but the ensuing sequence went disastrously with the Sens nearly giving up a shorty and settling for a penalty to Jakob Chychrun to negate the advantage and potentially give the Ducks a minute of powerplay time. Credit again to the depth forwards though as Parker Kelly drew another penalty to restore order to the universe temporarily.

Ottawa's powerplay when it eventually resumed looked completely out of wack unlike the first period. For the most part it didn't look like the Senators especially wanted to play hockey and Søgaard had to make some legitimate saves to keep the game tied. Brady Tkachuk rewarded his netminder by taking an offensive zone penalty. It felt miraculous that Ottawa didn't give up another last-minute goal to leave the second period trailing.

For the first five minutes of the third, Ottawa played like a team trailing, opening up to make desperate offence and having to scramble back to cover. Anaheim as a result just had to wait it out and convert on one of those mistakes. Sure enough, the Ducks took the lead with the Sens struggling to control the puck at all.

With the Sens trailing you kinda knew Lukas Dostal would transform into vintage Martin Brodeur. The Sens threw the kitchen sink at the Ducks' netminder but ended things with optimal futility taking a too many men penalty before Søgaard could leave the net for the extra skater. Another Sens penalty in the dying second added insult to injury for those of us who stayed up to suffer this team once again.

I guess I mostly feel mad at myself. I can't wrap my head around going from thinking the Sens could make the playoffs back in the preseason to now watching Ottawa lose to a Ducks team missing Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Troy Terry, and Trevor Zegras (and who just traded away Adam Henrique). The Sens should have won this game 6-0 based on pure talent but instead limped away once again with a regulation loss to a non-playoff team.

Game Notes

• Vladimir Tarasenko was invisible in this game. I doubt he fetches a first or second at the deadline.
• Of course the Sens lost a game in which they outshot the opponent 30-16
• Mads Søgaard played perfectly well. I don't fault him at all.
• The Sens had a perfect penalty kill for once but also their powerplay looked atrocious after the first period earning a negative shot differential.
• I don't understand why (other than the fact the team played its way out of postseason contention last year) this staff rolls out forwards bound for about eight minutes or less of ice time. Maybe call up some players you actually trust?
• Watching Dominik Kubalik as a Senator is endless pain. Give up assets to get this guy off the roster tomorrow.
• I feel tempted to give Kelly player-of-the-game honours based on the fact that he drew an absurd three penalties. Tkachuk on the other hand had one of his regrettable games when his antics definitely hurt the team more than they helped.
• GO SENS GO BABY

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