Sens Lose 1-0 to Penguins in Overtime
Possibly the most boring game of the whole season
“The Ottawa Senators are playing the Penguins at the end of the season and the game is almost completely meaningless for both teams” is a phrase we’re pretty used to hearing in Ottawa, but not for the reasons we were hearing it tonight. It was a very nice change to see the Sens comfortably in the playoffs by the end of the season with the Penguins, who were one of the best teams in the league for so long, completely out of the race. Things certainly have changed.
Unfortunately, Ottawa and Pittsburgh both played like teams with nothing to play for. If you missed this game, congrats! You didn’t miss a single thing.
There were lots of turnovers on both sides of the ice, and very little skating or urgency. We hardly even got any penalties. They just had a nice, leisurely time passing the puck around.
The Sens started the game pretty well, but gradually lost steam the more they played, as is typical of teams on the second half of a back to back. Pittsburgh was definitely the better team by the time the second period started, but even they didn’t get much going and Forsberg turned away the few good chances they did get.
Most of the game’s excitement - if you can even call it that - happened in the last three minutes of regulation. Zub fought Crosby, and both went to the box, leading to a 4 on 4 sequence so exciting it felt like the game might end in regulation after all.
That didn’t happen, but overtime didn’t last very long. The Sens put in a good effort, but in the end Crosby won it for the Penguins.
Ah, what a luxury to not care about a loss at the end of March. Well, for a different reason than usual, at least.
Game Notes:
- Not much to say, to be honest! The Cozens line looked pretty good, as usual.
- Forsberg played very well. He wasn’t standing on his head, exactly, but this could have easily been one of those games where a few bad goals go in and the team never stands a chance. He got us that point.
- Both Tkachuk and Chabot got injured at points in this game, and both returned to the bench eventually. Maybe we need to be rooting for this team to clinch early so their stars can sit out a few games.
- Fabian Zetterlund looks great. Only a matter of time before he gets a goal.
