Despite losing their third game in a row on Saturday night, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk gave fans something to cheer about.
For a seventh straight season, the Ottawa Senators were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday night. They fell 4-3 at home to the New Jersey Devils, but they didn't go quietly.
The Senators seemed to begin the game with their minds elsewhere, falling behind 3-0. Led by their captain, they roared back but were unable to finish the comeback.
On fan appreciation night, the game might have encapsulated the highs and lows of the Senators' season for their fans, who left with a bittersweet taste in their mouth.
The game started like many have this season with the Senators giving up early goals. Erik Haula’s wrist shot made it 1-0 Devils just 3:50 into the game.
Ondrej Palat doubled the lead for the Devils with a tip that squeaked past Anton Forsberg.
Yet again, the Senators found themselves in a hole early in a game. All signs pointed to a repeat of their previous game where they were missing in action in the 6-0 drubbing by the Florida Panthers when Brendan Smith rifled a slap shot past Anton Forsberg to end his night.
It made it back-to-back games where Jacques Martin had to pull his goaltender. It was yet another perplexing and awful start for the Senators, leaving their coach unable to explain it.
“If I had the answer, I’d be a genius,” said Martin.
Down 3-0, the second period was a better start for the Senators as Jake Sanderson's wrister from the point beat a screened Jake Allen to cut the Devils' lead to 3-1.
The pushback was short lived as Nico Hischier roofed a shot over Joonas Korpisalo to make it 4-1 Devils.
Martin was not happy with his team's second period.
“In the second period we had five shots. You can't score if you don't shoot,” said Martin.
Everything changed in the third period.
It all started on the power play when Claude Giroux absolutely hammered a slapshot past a helpless Jake Allen to cut the lead to 4-2 Devils.
The fans in the raucous Canadian Tire Centre began to feel life in their Senators. Their captain fed off it, hitting every New Jersey Devil in sight. Fans chanted Brady Tkachuk's name as he mowed down one Devil after the other, leading to an NHL record 16 hits in the game.
Their captain rewarded his fans by rushing off the bench to pick up a puck to roll into a break down the left wing, where he launched a snapshot past Allen to cut the Devils lead to 4-3 with 5:43 left in the game. The Ottawa faithful duly rejoiced in their second “Brady, Brady, Brady” chant of the night.
Jake Sanderson knew Tkachuk was a man on a mission.
“He’s the best power forward in the NHL.”
Tkachuk did everything he could to will his team to a tying goal. Drake Batherson missed an open net following a Tkachuk tip shot. In the dying seconds, Tkachuk had a one-timer that was stopped by Allen and then Shane Pinto hit the post off a rebound with less than 10 seconds left.
The game was a microcosm of the Senators' season – some great highs and some mighty lows that, in the end, led to failure.
Sanderson was happy with his team's performance but echoed his coach's comments about the team’s Jekyll and Hyde play.
“If we go out in third and play like that every single period we're a dominant team in this league,” said Sanderson.
Tkachuk marvelled at his fans chanting his name.
““It’s pretty amazing,“ said Tkachuk. “It speaks volumes about the people that we have in the city and the support that we have through thick and thin.”
Senator fans were not given the result they wanted, but they were given another glimpse into what an inspired Sens team looks like.