Sens Win Ullmark's Return Game, 3-2 in Overtime
Brady Tkachuk got the overtime winner to stop the losing streak!
Tonight’s matchup between the Sens and Bruins was one of the games a lot of hockey fans had had circled on their calendars for months. It was Linus Ullmark’s grand return to Boston, and the first matchup between him and his old friend, Jeremy Swayman.
I wanted so badly for the Sens to rub the trade in the Bruins’ faces. We all know which team was happier with the deal they made in the offseason. In the end, the game wasn't quite as decisive as I would have liked, but hey, they played well, and they got 2 points. That's all we need in the dreaded month of November.
The game had a good pace early on, with Ottawa playing with plenty of urgency but not as much discipline as we’d probably like. Ullmark was forced to make a good save on his former team about 5 minutes in, but that was the only really good chance of the first period.
It was a pretty chippy game from the start, as expected because it’s Brady Tkachuk vs the Boston Bruins. Maybe they were fighting over Ullmark. I would certainly understand if they were.
A penalty to Tkachuk late in the first gave the Bruins a chance to put pressure on Ullmark, but they didn’t do much with the powerplay - Noah Gregor actually closed that out with a good shorthanded chance.
Ottawa ended the first period with a powerplay that broke through with just over 7 seconds left in the period. It was noted powerplay specialist Josh Norris who got the Sens on the board with his signature one-timer. He’s so back. 1-0 Ottawa.
Who doesn't love a good Josh Scorris one-timer...except probably Boston 🤷♂️#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/l9Tg3LxcKk
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 10, 2024
The Sens started the second period with another powerplay, which generated some good chances but was ultimately unsuccessful. Unfortunately, the game took a turn for the worse when the Bruins took advantage of some brutal defending and scored 2 goals in 15 seconds to take the lead. 2-1 Boston.
The good news is that Ottawa responded really well, with a few exciting shifts where they turned on the offensive pressure. They also made just enough defensive mistakes to give the game a bit of extra excitement. Same old Sens!
Brady got an incredible breakaway a bit over halfway through the second period, and although he was stopped by Swayman, he earned his team a powerplay in the process. That powerplay was tragically unsuccessful.
Eventually, Michael Amadio tied the game toward the end of the second period, 2-2. Greig almost made it 3-2 for Ottawa with a really nice play right after that, but was stopped.
First #Sens goal ✅#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/twT1zvcqu8
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 10, 2024
The Sens played well in the third period. They weren’t exactly spectacular, but they kept Boston from recording a single shot, so clearly they were doing something right. They had a few moments of putting pressure on the Bruins, but in the end they ran out the clock to take the game to overtime.
The dynamic duo of Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris made quick work of the extra frame. Norris got a great chance on the first shift, then Ullmark made a big save, and Tkachuk got the winning goal. 3-2 Ottawa.
HUGE SAVE FROM LINUS ON LINUS ULLMARK NIGHT IN THE NHL AND THEN HUGE GOAL BY THE TKAPTAIN YOU ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO SEE IT#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/uCHJkVO7t8
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 10, 2024
Game Notes:
- Josh Norris and Brady Tkachuk were probably the two best players on the ice. What a game for them.
- Fun fact: apparently Brady now has the most overtime goals in franchise history!
- Ullmark didn't face that many shots, but he was great when he needed to be. I'm sure his old team misses him a lot.
- There weren't that many other big standouts. Outside of those disastrous 15 seconds where they gave up two goals, this was a pretty solid all around game for the Sens.
