Sens hockey finally came back to life tonight, and they even made us wait until 10 pm to get the game going.
The Sens seem to be shaking off the November curse and have done well the past few games (minus the loss against the Kings). A trip to the West, however, has never really been the Sens best friend, especially after a long break.
The game started on a worrisome note when Jake Sanderson took an early penalty. The Sens are still last in the league with their PK %, but they did a pretty good job on limiting all the Ducks’ chances, making sure they didn’t get any momentum early on.
The Ducks had played the night before and it was showing early on, as the period progressed, the Sens took more control of the game, both through shots and physical play. As with the usual Sens luck, Petr Mrázek decided to have himself a brick wall kind of game.
Right after another failed power play opportunity, Nick Cousins broke through with a precise slap shot that gave the Sens the lead they needed to get out of a good period on top.
Ottawa goal!
Scored by Nick Cousins with 03:21 remaining in the 1st period.
Assisted by Nick Jensen and Dylan Cozens.
Anaheim: 0
Ottawa: 1
#OTTvsANA #FlyTogether #GoSensGo
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— NHL Goals (@nhlgoals.bsky.social) November 20, 2025 at 10:45 PM
The first intermission provided the Ducks with the rest they needed, and they came out swinging with all the force they could. The Sens were caught scrambling in their own end a few times, but they did manage to keep the lead with a penalty kill.
As the Ducks were getting stronger, the Sens were starting to make very avoidable mistakes. Eventually, these mistakes cost them not one goal, but two. In a span of less than 2 minutes, the Sens went from leading the game to being down a goal.
The Sens caught a break with a power play, but with nothing to show for it. Mrázek, who started the game strong, was starting to channel his inner Martin Brodeur at this point.
The second power play didn’t look like it was going any better, but somehow, our little blue-eyed gem managed to sneak the tying goal in with 5 seconds left and less than a minute left in the period. Better yet, rookie Stephen Halliday got the primary assist, giving him his first NHL point in his debut game.
Power play goal for Ottawa!
Scored by Shane Pinto with 00:58 remaining in the 2nd period.
Assisted by Stephen Halliday and David Perron.
Anaheim: 2
Ottawa: 2
#OTTvsANA #FlyTogether #GoSensGo
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— NHL Goals (@nhlgoals.bsky.social) November 20, 2025 at 11:48 PM
The Sens came into the third with a bit of a cautious attitude. Both teams played a mostly disciplined game, making sure they didn’t take any huge risks.
The Sens haven’t been lucky finishing games with a full defense group. This game it was Nikolas Matinpalo with a big hit by the boards that earned him a trip to the dressing room. He did not return to the game but we haven’t had an update yet but it is a good thing Lassi Thompson traveled with the team.
The Sens continued to push through the third while the Ducks were trying to keep their winning streak alive. Both goalies were making good stops, but in a game where the posts were making the highlight reels, one of them was going to falter. While Mrazek was doing a great job of suffocating the Sens, they weren’t doing themselves any favors with the lack of shooting.
With less than 2 minutes left, the Sens looked like they may be good to start this trip with at least a point, and fans were wondering what additional forms of caffeine they would need to stay awake for a potential overtime. But the Sens decided it was time for some magic with a beautiful shot from Jake Sanderson that caught Drake Batherson in just the perfect position for the game-winning redirect.
The following minute and a half or so seemed to have lasted for half an hour with the Sens getting more than a few good chances at the empty net without success. Even Linus Ullmark decided to try for a goalie goal. Luckily for everyone, the Sens held on to grab a crucial 2 points to start their long road trip.
Only 6 games left!
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