February 15, 2025
The Ottawa Senators score two goals with their goalie pulled and beat Boston 6-5 in a shootout
NHL

The Ottawa Senators score two goals with their goalie pulled and beat Boston 6-5 in a shootout

It was the loosest defensive game the Ottawa Senators have played in weeks, but there was no denying the entertainment Saturday afternoon at the Canadian Tire Centre.

The Senators were down 3-5 against the rival Boston Bruins when the goalie was pulled, scoring two goals in the final four minutes to tie the game, which they then won 6-5 in a shootout. The victory puts Ottawa in the first wild card position (WC1) in the Eastern Conference, now tied with Columbus and Boston.

With 3:13 to play, Nick Jensen’s snap shot from the top of the circle brought the Sens within one point. Then, just when it looked like the Sens were out of gas and out of time, Claude Giroux fed Josh Norris in the high slot and Norris ripped a one-timer through the pads of Jeremy Swayman to tie the game.

Norris will get all the love, and rightly so, but look at how Giroux tricks Boston’s Charlie Coyle into thinking he’s a good fit for Thomas Chabot at this point. The second Coyle moves his bat to take away the lane, Giroux hits Norris on the tape.

Tim Stutzle scored the only goal of the shootout and suddenly sprinted wide past Swayman, who missed his poke check attempt and was on the ground. This left Stützle with an almost empty goal to shoot at.

Stutzle also scored in regulation time, as did Jake Sanderson and Adam Gaudette. Norris scored two goals for the Sens, who blew an early 2-0 lead.

Ottawa rookie Leevi Merilainen hasn’t been the wall he was over the last four games, but some of his 23 saves have been absolutely outstanding. He stopped all three shots in the shootout, including a nice attempt by David Pastrnak that almost seemed to offend the boy. After the attempt, Merilainen immediately glanced at Pastrnak as he ran away.

Merilainen says he has never seen a game with such a result.

“Probably the biggest comeback I’ve ever experienced,” Merilainen told the media after the game.

Even as a franchise, the Sens haven’t experienced many games like this. It is only the third time in history that they have overturned a two-goal deficit in the final five minutes of regular time.

As far as entertainment goes this season, tonight’s game rivals Ottawa’s 8-7 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thanksgiving. Today’s game was lively, lively and emotional with a serious playoff atmosphere. And why shouldn’t it be like that? Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives.

Ottawa’s late comeback represents a three-point swing from Saturday’s score, when the Bruins led 5-3 with four minutes left.

The Senators (23-18-4, 50 points) are now tied with the Bruins (22-19-6, 50 points), but the Sens still have two games left. The Sens are also tied with the Blue Jackets (23-17-4, 50 points) for the first Wild Card spot in the East, but the Sens have the advantage due to regular season wins. Columbus is in action later Saturday.

It’s probably too early to worry about the league lead in most NHL markets, but not in Ottawa. Over the past seven seasons, the Sens’ playoff chances have typically been assessed like Old Yeller.

The Sens will be in New Jersey on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Devils lost 3-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. The question now is, will Travis Green send Merilainen out to replay both halves of back-to-back games or not?


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