Captain Brady Tkachuk delivered a dramatic overtime winner, lifting the Ottawa Senators to a hard-fought 3-2 comeback victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night at Canada Life Centre.
A Captain's Clutch Performance
The Senators' leader fired the decisive goal past Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck at the 2:11 mark of the three-on-three overtime period. It was Tkachuk's second goal of the season and secured two critical points for Ottawa to close out a three-game road trip.
"I'm just really happy with the two points," said Tkachuk post-game. "We lead the league in one-goal losses, and we made an emphasis on that 6-on-5 that we weren't going to get denied. Maybe it took a little puck luck, but I think we were due for that."
The Path to Overtime
The Senators were forced to mount a late comeback to even force the extra frame. With goaltender Linus Ullmark pulled for an extra attacker, defenceman Jake Sanderson unleashed a shot from the point that deflected off the stick of Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele and past Hellebuyck, tying the game with just 1:54 remaining in the third period.
Ullmark was solid throughout, making 23 saves to backstop the win. Forward Nick Cousins also found the back of the net for Ottawa, contributing to the offensive effort.
Context of a Crucial Win
The victory was a significant one for a Senators team desperate to climb the standings. Entering the contest, Ottawa sat six points out of the final Eastern Conference wild card spot and had posted a record of 2-6-0 over its previous eight games.
Head coach Travis Green, who made no lineup changes citing his satisfaction with the team's recent play, praised his squad's resilience. "I loved how we stuck with it in the third period," Green stated. "I've been saying it a lot, but we've liked the way we've played as of late, and it's not easy to stick with your game when you're not getting the wins, and you're playing decently. So I was happy that we did."
The win provided a positive end to the road trip, giving Ottawa two victories away from home. The team had been tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres for the fewest points in the conference prior to the game, adding immense weight to the comeback performance in Winnipeg.
