Connor Bedard had two goals and an assist to help the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Ottawa Senators 4-3 in overtime on Tuesday night, ending Ottawa's five-game home winning streak.
Spencer Knight was the difference in the game, making 34 saves for Chicago. Dylan Cozens recorded two assists for the Senators, who outshot the Hawks 37-16. Ottawa got goals from Nick Cousins, Thomas Chabot, and Drake Batherson and for the second straight game, got it to overtime without ever having the lead.
Meanwhile, with the Toronto Maple Leafs winning in Buffalo 4-0 on Tuesday, it’s now official: Toronto and Ottawa will meet in the first round, confirming a playoff version of the Battle of Ontario — the first in 21 years.
Against Chicago, the Senators controlled the shot count but not the scoreboard.
The Hawks jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first six minutes, with goals by Connor Bedard and Joe Veleno. Both shots came from well out to beat Anton Forsberg, as all four goals did.
About a minute after Veleno’s goal, Nick Cousins got a breakaway on a long rim pass from Dennis Gilbert and beat Hawks goalie Spencer Knight high on the blocker side, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Power plays took over in the second period for both teams. Chabot walked in and scored on a wrist shot, again beating Knight high on the blocker side, tying the game at 2. Bedard helped Chicago reclaim the lead with a power-play snipe, again toe-dragging and threading the needle through a Sens defenceman and beating Forsberg from well out.
On another power-play faceoff, Batherson corralled a bouncing puck, kicked it to his stick blade, and ripped one upstairs, this time beating Knight on the glove side to tie the game at 3.
That was it for the scoring in regulation. In overtime, Tim Stützle gave up the puck at the Chicago blue line, leading to a 3-on-2 the other way, with Bedard at the helm. He fed Frank Nazar, whose shot from well out beat Forsberg for the win.
The Senators will close out the regular season at home on Thursday as they host the Carolina Hurricanes.