SENSNEWS

The Ottawa Senators are still alive after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime in game four of their first-round series. Jake Sanderson netted the overtime winner, and the Senators now have life in the battle of Ontario.

Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Ottawa Senators still have a tall task ahead of them. They would need to win the next three consecutive games to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

But now, they have the evidence that they can beat this Toronto Maple Leafs team. Ottawa likely deserved a better fate in the series coming into this game after losing the previous two in overtime.

The games were much closer than the series would show. However, one key aspect changed on Saturday night to help Ottawa come out on the winning side. The Senators finally won the goaltending battle in the game.

Ottawa Senators Need Another Great Ullmark Game

Linus Ullmark was great for Ottawa stopping 31 out of 34 shots. On the other end, it was Anthony Stolarz who finally struggled by allowing four goals on 21 Senators shots.

But outside of Ullmark, several Senators had their best games of the playoffs so far. First and foremost, Jake Sanderson was exceptional for the Senators.

Jake Sanderson Really Establishing His Game

He had the overtime winner, but Sanderson also had an assist in the first period and did an excellent job defending against Auston Matthews.

Sanderson’s assist came on Tim Stutzle’s first post-season goal of his career, and that is something the Senators desperately needed. It will be interesting to see if this can be the start of a hot streak for Stutzle.

With every game from here on out being an elimination game, the Senators will desperately need him to elevate his play to a new level.

Tyler Kleven Emergence

Tyler Kleven was also excellent, again, and he’s quietly establishing himself as a very important piece of this Senator’s blue line in both the present and future.

There have been a few Senators who have struggled under the pressure of the post-season, but Kleven has done the opposite. He is playing some of the best hockey of his entire career.

David Perron also got his first goal of the post-season off of a beautiful Artem Zub assist. How things have come full circle from where these two saw each other just over a year ago.

The Penalty Kill Came Up Huge

The penalty kill has also been a point of weakness for the Ottawa Senators in this series, but Shane Pinto was able to get the first short-handed goal for Ottawa these playoffs.

However, the most important penalty kill of the season came in overtime where the Ottawa Senators successfully killed off a double minor.

The kill was the turning point in overtime for the Senators, and they were able to use that energy to get the win in front of the home crowd.

In the post-game, Brady Tkachuk was fired up and repeatedly told the crowd “We’re coming back here!” For the Ottawa Senators to do that, they will first need to take care of business in game five.

The Senators will be back in Toronto on Tuesday night where they will once again fight for their season. Now, we know that the Senators can win this game, but what must go right in order for them to do so?

Well firstly, they will need another great game from Linus Ullmark. The Senators need Ullmark to play like he did in game four.

You can only go as far as your goaltender can take you, and the Senators need the very best version of their starter that they can get.

It’s been a difficult series for Ullmark no doubt, but you simply have to hope that he can carry the momentum from his good start into Tuesday. Let’s see him continue to improve his playoff stats.

Although the penalty kill came up big in the last game, the Senators do not want to give the Maple Leafs power play too many chances.

This has been an Achilles heel for Ottawa this series, and with how tight these playoffs have been, one mistake could cost them the season.

The good news is, the Senators have been scoring by committee on this run. It’s going to take some big performances from depth players if they want to squeak out another win.

Looking At Amadio

Michael Amadio has had a quieter series, at least offensively speaking, so he will be someone I will be watching in game five.

Amadio was key to the Vegas Golden Knights squad that won the Stanley Cup, and he came up with some huge goals on that run.

Ottawa could certainly use a big goal from him in this series.
The Senators will be on the road, so they won’t have the luxury of choosing matchups with the secondary change.

It’s going to be crucial that the players pay especially close attention to detail on the road. Quick shifts and safe changes are an absolute necessity.

Every mistake in the playoffs is magnified, and that magnification only grows in elimination games. So the Senators have to be sure they aren’t playing with fire.

Can the Senators carry the momentum from game four into game five? Absolutely. But it’s not going to be easy, and it’s not going to be without sacrifice.