A costly defensive lapse in the final minutes erased the Senators' comeback, ending their 4 game winning streak.
The Senators' four game winning streak is over.
Jordan Staal's breakaway goal with under five minutes to play gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 victory, squandering the Sens comeback from a 3-1 deficit. The effect of playing back to back games probably played a role as Staal took advantage of a brutal Sens line change for a free pass to the Ottawa net.
Seth Jarvis scored twice while Sebastian Aho had three points. Jake Sanderson and Dylan Cozens each had two points.
The Senators started fast in this one, with Stephen Halliday scoring the fourth goal of his season and career less than three minutes into the first. Jordan Spence took a shot from the left point that Halliday tipped past Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi to give Ottawa a 1–0 lead.
That lead held until under three minutes remaining in the opening period, when Aho tied the game. Carolina won the draw back to the point, and James Reimer stopped both the initial shot and the rebound, but Aho knocked in a bouncing puck to make it 1–1.
It certainly looked like a play that could have been challenged for goalie interference. Jarvis clearly made contact with Reimer (see banner photo) before he reached back to try and grab the puck as it trickled toward the goal line.
Jarvis wasn't done making life miserable for Reimer, scoring twice in a span of just over three minutes in the second period.
The first came immediately after a rare “playing with a broken stick” call on Halliday. The Senators’ penalty kill has been solid lately, but Jarvis was left completely unaccounted for, walking in and picking his spot over Reimer’s left shoulder to make it 2–1 Carolina.
Jarvis struck again shortly after, beating Jake Sanderson wide, cutting to the net, and backhanding it past Reimer for a 3–1 Hurricanes lead.
Ottawa responded late in the period. With just over three minutes left, William Carrier was called for interference on Claude Giroux. On the ensuing power play, Tim Stützle blasted a one-timer from the top of the circle to cut the deficit to 3–2 after 40 minutes.
The Sens power play went to work again early in the third when Sanderson blasted a point shot home, with Stutzle serving as a perfect screen. That tied the game at 3 before the Sens got their foot-shooting guns out.
With just over five minutes to play, with the puck innocently tied up on the boards at centre ice, the Sens made a wholesale line change. The far side D always has to be conservative on a full line change, but Jordan Spence went off with everyone else.
The puck squirted out to Nikolaj Ehlers who quickly hit Staal and there was no Senator right defenseman there to oppose him. He walked in for an easy breakaway and ripped one home, high glove side on Reimer to give the Canes the lead. That stood up as the winner.
The Sens outshot the Canes 25-18 and did a good job of limiting Carolina's chances, but Reimer allowed four goals on those 18 shots.
The Senators will be back at it on Thursday at Philadelphia, their final game before the Olympic break.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News