Ottawa Senators make their point as Penguins’ Sidney Crosby scores OT winner

Article content

PENGUINS 1, SENATORS 0 (OT)

Article content

Article content

The Ottawa Senators’ effort wasn’t pointless.

The Senators didn’t get the result they wanted in a 1-0 overtime decision to Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, but at least Ottawa picked up the loser point on Sunday at the PPG Paints Arena.

Crosby fired a blast home on the power play at 1:16 of overtime for his 20th career goal and 58th point in 52 games against the Senators. That came with Ridly Greig in the penalty box for hooking.

Article content

That was Crosby’s 97th game-winning goal of his career, and he moved ahead of Mats Sundin into 12th all-time.

This turned into a goaltending duel between Senators backup Anton Forsberg and Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry. Forsberg made 34 stops while Jarry recorded the shutout with 31 stops.

“It could have gone either way,” coach Travis Green told TSN 1200’s Gord Wilson. “It was obvious our game wasn’t as sharp as it was (Saturday) night, but we found a way to get a big point.

“(Forsberg) gave us a hell of a game in the net, and it could have gone either way.”

The Senators came into this game with six straight wins against Pittsburgh and hadn’t lost to the Penguins since Jan. 20, 2023, but, as they say, all good things must come to an end.

Article content

Article content

Ottawa closed out the month of March with a 10-3-2 record and, with the point, moved in the right direction to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

SHORT TURNAROUND

The Senators didn’t have much time to recover from a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at home Saturday.

Ottawa was forced to withstand a push by the Penguins in the second.

“We’ll take the point for sure, but we would have liked to get the win,” said winger Drake Batherson, who had six shots on goal. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t get one tonight, but we had a lot of good looks.”

Through 40 minutes, the clubs played to a 0-0 tie.

The first was scoreless, but the Senators had a strong start. They pushed the pace and outshot the Penguins 10-6. Jarry has struggled, and Ottawa had no shortage of chances.

Article content

This was the 13th set of back-to-back games for Ottawa, which has posted a 9-4-0 record in the first half and has gone 7-4-2 in the second half.

Newcomer Fabian Zetterlund, who hasn’t scored a goal since he was traded to Ottawa on March 7 from the San Jose Sharks, had plenty of chances and finished with six shots on goal.

Zetterlund has 17 goals so he can put the puck in the net.

Though winger Angus Crookshank was recalled from the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville, he was scratched along with blueliners Travis Hamonic and Dennis Gilbert.

It was surprising the club didn’t opt for fresh legs.

BUILDING A CUSHION

The Penguins have little or no chance of making the playoffs.

The Senators went into this game with a 99 per cent chance of making the National Hockey League’s big dance, but they couldn’t afford to let two points slip away against Pittsburgh.

Article content

“It’s going to be like that the rest of the way,” said alternate captain Thomas Chabot. “It’s all about winning games and getting points. It’s all about getting points.

“All we want is to get into the playoffs. We are 1,000 per cent frustrated we lost this game tonight, but we got a point, and we got a point on the road.”

The Penguins had the Senators back on their heels in the third, holding a 14-4 edge in shots on goal.

Ottawa looked like a team playing its second game in less than 24 hours, but teams that want to make the playoffs have to battle through adversity. That’s part of the price you have to pay.

BACKUP PLAN

Forsberg made only his fifth appearance since Feb. 22.

On Tuesday, he allowed three goals on 24 shots in the club’s 3-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Forsberg came into this game with a 1-0-0 record in three career appearances against the Penguins with a 4.60 goals-against average and an .854 save percentage.

Article content

Forsberg had to be better than he was against the Sabres. He has a 1-1-0 record since the Senators returned from the 4 Nations Face-Off with a .921 save percentage and a 1.91 GAA.

Forsberg had to make some huge stops, especially in the third when the Senators were getting caved. He hasn’t looked this good in a while because he was challenging the Pittsburgh shooters.

“It could have gone either way. You could tell we were tired,” Forsberg said. “We got a point and that’s super important. Right now, we should be happy with getting one point and moving forward with the point.

“I felt good. I felt confident, and I was seeing the puck well. I haven’t played much in the last few weeks, and it gives me confidence that I can go in there and play well.”

The Senators will now begin a stretch that will see them play eight of their final nine regular-season games at home.

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

Article content