The Ottawa Senators' long-awaited Saturday night home game ended in disappointment as they fell 2-1 to the visiting St. Louis Blues at Canadian Tire Centre on December 6, 2025. The loss marks the team's second consecutive defeat since concluding a grueling seven-game road trip.
Hofer Stands Tall, Senators' Offence Stalls
St. Louis netminder Joel Hofer was the undeniable star of the game, turning aside 40 of 41 shots fired by the Senators. Ottawa's lone goal came from forward Fabian Zetterlund late in the third period, briefly cutting a two-goal deficit to one with just 4:21 remaining in regulation. Despite heavily outshooting the Blues 25-13 through the first two periods, the Senators could not solve Hofer until it was nearly too late.
The frustration was palpable, culminating in a scrum with six seconds left that saw Hofer attempt to engage Ottawa's Tim Stutzle after the Blues' goalie had earlier tried to score on an empty net.
Power Play Struggles and Costly Turnovers
A significant factor in the loss was Ottawa's inability to capitalize on numerous opportunities. The Senators' power play unit finished the night a disappointing 1-for-7, with Zetterlund's late marker being their only success with the man advantage. For most of the game, the power play lacked cohesion and failed to generate high-quality chances.
The Blues' decisive second goal was a direct result of a Senators' mistake. Just 12 seconds into the third period, a turnover in Ottawa's zone led to Jake Neighbours redirecting a shot past goalie Linus Ullmark, making it 2-0. Neighbours had opened the scoring earlier, at 17:36 of the second, by capitalizing on a fortunate bounce in the crease.
Injury Woes Continue for Ottawa Lineup
The Senators continue to navigate a challenging injury situation. While defenseman Artem Zub returned to the lineup after missing a game, the club was still without key centremen Shane Pinto and Lars Eller, as well as alternate captain Thomas Chabot. Pinto's absence forced Ridly Greig to move to the centre position.
The team also endured a scare in the first period when captain Brady Tkachuk took an accidental stick near the eye from St. Louis forward Robert Thomas. Tkachuk immediately went to the dressing room but returned after Thomas was assessed a double-minor penalty upon video review.
Looking ahead, the Senators will need to find solutions quickly, particularly in generating more traffic in front of opposing goaltenders. Their next test comes on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils as they seek to halt this nascent losing skid and turn their home-ice fortunes around.
