The Ottawa Senators will live to fight another day.
Jake Sanderson’s overtime goal at 17:42 of the extra period gave the Senators a 4-3 victory, staving off elimination and forcing a Game 5 in Toronto on Tuesday. Sanderson played a key role, contributing both a goal and an assist for the Sens, who were outshot 35-22.
In OT, the Senators survived Drake Batherson’s double minor for high-sticking in the offensive zone. Batherson had already made one major overtime mistake back in Game 2, so that successful kill was probably the longest four minutes of his life.
Tim Stützle, Shane Pinto, and David Perron scored for Ottawa. John Tavares, Matthew Knies, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson had the Toronto goals.
The Senators struck first midway through the opening period with a brilliant power-play goal as Stützle unleashed a one-timer from the top of the right circle. The opportunity came after Max Domi caught Shane Pinto in the head with the end of his stick during a face-off, sending the Senators to the power play. They made the most of it, taking a 1-0 lead.
Just four minutes later, David Perron nearly scored during a goalmouth scramble. However, he got a little too aggressive in the ensuing scrum and ended up taking a penalty. But the PK was on a roll in this one. Pinto broke free for a shorthanded breakaway, and he made no mistake, slipping the puck through Anthony Stolarz’s legs to give the Senators a 2-0 lead.
Toronto responded late in the second period when Tavares was left unchecked to the right of Linus Ullmark. Tavares redirected a shot from William Nylander past Ullmark, cutting the Senators’ lead to 2-1 as the teams headed into the final frame.
In the third period, Knies caught Sanderson and Zub flatfooted on a puck that dribbled out the Toronto zone up the middle. He blew past them to tie the game at 2.
Perron restored the one-goal lead on a perfect pass from Artem Zub. Standing at the right post, Perron directed the puck into the open net, much like the Tavares goal, to make it 3-2. But Toronto quickly answered again. Nylander, playing the setup man for a second time, delivered a perfect cross-ice pass to Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who fired a quick shot under Ullmark’s glove to tie the game at 3.
In overtime, after the huge four minute penalty kill, Sanderson hustled to keep the puck in at the left point along the boards and lofted a wrist shot through traffic that beat Stolarz high to the glove side to end the game and keep the Sens alive.
So, the Senators will not go gentle into that good night, but down 3-1, the road back remains long. Game 5 is on Tuesday in Toronto.
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