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Game Coverage

Sens Win 4th Straight, 6-3 Over Columbus Blue Jackets

Brady Tkachuk got his second career hat trick in the at-times dominant win

Sens Win 4th Straight, 6-3 Over Columbus Blue Jackets
Photo by Ellie Brown / Unsplash

The first period in tonight's match-up between the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets went about as well as any Sens fan could have hoped. Ottawa was the better team right from the drop, and although they did give up the first goal - a weird deflection that wasn’t really anyone’s fault - they were playing so well that it didn’t feel concerning at all; and it wasn’t.

Vladimir Tarasenko hit the post on an absolutely heart-stopping scoring chance, and Brady Tkachuk scored right off the next faceoff to tie things up.

The puck had barely dropped again when Brady Tkachuk scored his second of the night, less than 30 seconds after the first. We were officially on Boss Baby Hat Trick Watch.

It didn’t take much time for Claude Giroux to add to the lead, this time on the penalty kill.

Hilariously, Mathieu Joseph scored on the same penalty kill, although it ended up being called back for goaltender interference.

That would do it for a thrilling first period. The second didn’t go quite as well. Forsberg had to make a few good saves, before Ridly Greig tipped in a Tarasenko point shot to make the score 4-1. You knew that one was coming.

Things got bad toward the end of the middle frame, as Columbus got another weird one past Forsberg, and then scored again not long after to draw within one. Goaltending had completely left the chat. The Sens were sitting back on their heels a bit. It was a lot of yikes all around.

Just as things were starting to get concerning, Tkachuk pulled through and completed the hat trick on the powerplay.

The Sens’ 5-3 lead held through the rest of the period, although there were a few shenanigans toward the end when a few Blue Jackets players tried to fight - who else? - Ridly Greig.

The third period was comparatively uneventful. Columbus made an attempt at a comeback, but Forsberg shut them down, and honestly the Sens played well enough that I was never too concerned. They sat on the lead a bit, yes, a story for another day perhaps, but overall kept things under control. I'm starting to think Columbus might be bad.

The Blue Jackets pulled their goalie at the end, and there was a weird sequence where the Sens had possession in the offensive zone but couldn't put the puck in the empty net. Shoutout to Giroux for attempting a slapshot. He was on the ice for the empty net goal that iced the game, but it was Erik Brännström who shot the puck down the ice for the goal this time.

Game Notes

  • Brady Tkachuk, man. He was on one tonight. The tying goal, the go-ahead goal, and the one that took back control of the game right when it was starting to get away from them.
  • I tried to hold back a little bit when praising Chabot in my recap of the Leafs game, just because I feel like I sing his praises in most recaps and am perhaps a bit biased, but I’m ready to say it: he is so back. What a great game from the leader of the defence. He was all over the ice and made some really smart plays, all despite playing an absurd amount of minutes. What a player.
  • Giroux had a great game. He easily could have had more than one goal.
  • Tim Stützle is in a bit of a drought, but he is doing everything he possibly can to get out of it and he cannot be faulted for effort. He stood out a lot on the ice and had several good chances. I’m not sure what else he can do other than keep at it.
  • Joseph had a goal called back, and got whistled down on a breakaway. During Black History Month? I can't believe it.

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