Tim Stutzle's overtime goal snapped his six-game goalless drought and the Senators snapped a six-game losing skid.
The Ottawa Senators' six game losing streak is finally over. While the victory won't win them any style points, the Senators entered the holiday break on a positive note, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 in overtime on Saturday night. Brady Tkachuk led the way for Ottawa with a goal and two assists. Anton Forsberg made 30 saves as the Senators improved to 12-17-0 on the season.
For the second straight game, the Senators had a 4-2 lead and took their foot off the gas. But this time, despite being horribly outshot in the third, they managed to drag the game into overtime. Tim Stutzle was the OT hero, taking a slick feed from Drake Batherson and jamming the puck between the pads of Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic – a nice Christmas stuffing.
The victory was Jacques Martin's first win as Senators head coach in almost twenty years.
“Overall, we did a much better job (tonight)," Martin said. "I think it was a little bit of a continuation of our last game. I thought that we did a lot of good things in Colorado and just asked the guys to play the same way. To me, we didn't get the result there. But I thought we deserved a better fate.
"So, tonight in the third period, we weren't as good. But sometimes you've got to find ways to win games and you learn from those situations.”
Playing with the lead hasn't been a Senators strength. Not only did they give up a 4-2 advantage, they were badly outshot in the third period 23-4.
The club also took seven minors in the game, but the struggling penalty kill was much better on Saturday. After giving up four goals on five Colorado power plays on Thursday, the Sens killed six of seven power plays, including an early 5 on 3.
Along with Tkachuk and Stutzle, the Senators also got goals from Jakob Chychrun, Josh Norris and Erik Brannstrom. Brannstrom's goal withstood a long offside challenge by the Penguins. But during the delay, two Ottawa teenagers in the stands kept fans entertained, mocking the challenge process.
Early in the third, the Penguins cut Ottawa's lead to 4-3 on a deflection from Drew O'Connor.
But from there, it was the Anton Forsberg show. Forsberg made two outrageous blocker saves on a penalty kill, sliding across the goal mouth to rob both Jeff Carter and Rickard Rakell.
But the Penguins' intense pressure through the period was finally rewarded when Kris Letang tied the game at 4 with 2:26 left in regulation. His wrist shot from the point beat a defenseless Forsberg, who was perfectly screened by Josh Norris.
In overtime, during a wild scramble near the Pittsburgh blue line, Drake Batherson stopped a Pittsburgh clearing attempt with his skate that would have set Evgeni Malkin up for a breakaway. Instead, Batherson quickly slid the puck to Stutzle who found himself all alone in front. He beat Alex Nedeljkovic between the legs to give Ottawa its first win since December 9th.
The victory was both merry and bright as the Senators unveiled an impressive new lighting system in the arena, installed this month during the club's long road trip.
The Senators now break for the holidays and reconvene against the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 27th at 7pm. It's the third rendition of the Battle of Ontario this season. The two clubs have split the opening two games of the season 1-1-0.