Senators Snap Seven Game Skid With Wild 2-1 Victory Over Pittsburgh

Drake Batherson's overtime one-timer gave the Senators a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Ottawa Senators have snapped their seven-game losing slide with a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. After a wild back and forth overtime, with breakaways at both ends, Drake Batherson took a cross-ice pass from Tim Stutzle and ripped it past Tristan Jarry for the game winner. It was Batherson's seventh goal in nine games.

Both Jarry and Joonas Korpisalo were excellent in goal as Ottawa outshot Pittsburgh 39-35. Korpisalo got the win, but lost his shutout with just 22 seconds left in regulation. 

Zack Ostapchuk was a huge story in his NHL debut, even getting some work in key situations with the game on the line.

After a scoreless 40 minutes with limited chances, the two teams made up for it with an exciting third period and an incredible overtime.

Claude Giroux appeared to give the Sens a 1-0 lead early in the third but the goal was overturned on a coach's challenge by Pittsburgh's Mike Sullivan. Mathieu Joseph provided a perfect screen, but officials rules he made contact with Jarry, affecting his ability to make the save. 

Midway through the third, Joseph made amends with a nice pass to Jake Sanderson, who jumped up in the slot and beat Jarry with a snap shot to finally break the scoreless deadlock 51 minutes into the game.

With under four minutes to play, Tim Stutzle made one of the best defensive plays of the night, diving to break up a dangerous cross-ice pass. 

But with 22 seconds to play and Jarry on the bench, Pittsburgh's Michael Bunting tied the game at 1, tapping the puck home in a goal mouth scramble. The league initiated a review for a possible missed stoppage of play, but the challenge was overturned and the goal stood.

The overtime was bananas as the teams combined for half a dozen incredible chances. Tim Stutzle had a breakaway at one end. Erik Karlsson at the other. 

The game marked the debut of centre Zack Ostapchuk, who was called up from Belleville for the game. One of the highlights of the evening was the emotional in-game interview with Ostapchuk's very proud mom, Charlene. 

Her son didn't look a bit out of place in the game, using his big frame to protect the puck and creating a couple of scoring chances. Head coach Jacques Martin even threw him out there to protect a 1-0 lead with under two minutes left in regulation and, incredibly, again in overtime.

Ostapchuk broke up a pass that would have set Sidney Crosby free for a great scoring chance in OT. Ostapchuk then calmly head manned the puck and got off on a change. Batherson would score the winner on that same rush. Standing below the circle, with his left skate almost on the goal line, Batherson's bad angle one timer, banked in on off Jarry and put the matter to rest.

Sens head coach Jacques Martin says he really likes Ostapchuk’s strength.  

“He uses his body to protect the puck, wins battles," Martin said. "Good example in overtime, he won the battle along the wall, got the puck out. I think he has a good hockey IQ. It's one game, but I like what I saw.”

The Senators now have a busy weekend ahead with three games, in Columbus on Thursday, on Long Island Saturday afternoon, then back home against Carolina Sunday at 6.