Senators Hang on For 3-2 Victory over the Blue Jackets

Ten games left to play after tonight. The Ottawa Senators can taste the playoffs, but they still have work to do, and tonight was no different as they hosted the Columbus Blue Jackets, who sat in the second wild card spot. The two teams had weirdly not faced each other yet this season, with three matchups coming in the final month of the season.

It was the Senators who struck first on a strange play from Thomas Chabot that would've resulted in nothing nine times out of ten. However, Ridly Greig was able to perfectly tip it past Daniil Tarasov while out in front:

It didn't take the Blue Jackets very long to tie things up though, as 31 seconds later, Boone Jenner took advantage of a big rebound from Linus Ullmark. Zack Werenski shot it from the point off the draw, and Jenner snuck in between Thomas Chabot and Nick Jensen to be there just in time. Thankfully, with under six minutes to play, Drake Batherson gave Ottawa the lead once again. Dylan Cozens skated around the zone, threw the puck at the net, and Batherson's great footwork helped him get the rebound and barely get it past a sprawling Tarasov:

Despite getting outshot 12-8, Ottawa led 2-1 after one period.

In the second, the Senators turned on the jets and tried to take control of the game. They had a ton of Grade A chances, although their third goal of the game was far from their best opportunity. Shane Pinto came rushing down the right wing, with Jake Sanderson on the far side, sneaking past Werenski. Pinto's cross-ice pass ricocheted off Sanderson's leg and in, which was yet another odd goal that somehow went in:

It was great that Ottawa was able to take advantage of some odd plays, and they continued to push for the rest of the period. Tkachuk hit the crossbar, they had multiple great chances on a powerplay, and it could've easily been 4-1 or 5-1 heading into the final frame. Tarasov did his best to keep the Blue Jackets in it though, and it was a two-goal game after two periods.

The Senators continued their great pushes early in the third period, and it was surprising that they couldn't add to their lead. Then with 8:58 left in the game, Kirill Marchenko made Senators fans nervous as he scored after a phenomenal one-man effort. He took on Sanderson, Zub, and Greig, and his low shot got past a frustrated Ullmark. After that point, the Blue Jackets had life and it seemed like it might get to overtime.

However, just as they pulled the goalie with a few minutes left, Ottawa shut things down and were able to avoid any excellent chances. In typical Senators fashion, they missed some shots at the empty net yet again, but they were able to hang on for a 3-2 win. It's their second win in a row and their third win in four games. They are now eight points clear of the closest non-playoff team, which is still Columbus. The playoffs...they're so so close.

Notable Performances

• Tarasov allowed three goals but had almost no chance on any of them and stopped some great chances besides those. It could've been a much different game without his effort.
• With a goal and an assist, Greig surpassed his career high in points at 28. He has two goals and five assists in his last eight games and is levelling up his game when it matters.
• Shane Pinto's two assists broke a six-game pointless streak. He's been far too streaky this season, but I've still liked his game overall the last few months.
• Ottawa's expected goals being 3.79-2.45 has to be encouraging considering Columbus is a team they're directly battling against.
• Michael Amadio didn't get on the scoresheet, but he had an 88.48 xGF% and some great defensive plays and forechecking that sometimes goes unnoticed. Having him on the third or fourth line has been a huge boost this season.
• It's also noticeable how much stronger Stützle is on the puck. That has been a slow process over the years for him, but he's winning puck battles along the boards through his skill and strength. Him playing well defensively is another reason why this team has gone to another level.

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