The Ottawa Senators remained the only team in the NHL that hasn't lost a home game in regulation, but they could (and maybe should) have walked away with two points. But, they had to settle for one after dropping a 2-1 decision in the shootout.
Chris Neil and Tobias Enstrom exchanged first period power play goals and from there on it was a goaltending duel between Craig Anderson and Ondrej Pavelec that didn't end until the 12th shooter. Mathieu Perreault beat Anderson low-blocker to end an excruciating shootout that saw very few of the 6 Senators actually get shots on goal in the shootout, with high overt the net being the miss of choice.
Here are some random thoughts on the game:
* There will be a lot of discussion as to the player selection for the skills competition. The six guys used by Paul MacLean (Zibanejad, Karlsson, Turris, Michalek, Legwand and Greening) have combined for 9 goals this season, with 4 of them belonging to Karlsson. Stapled to the bench were Clarke MacArthur (leading the team with 7 goals) Mark Stone (3 goals) and Mike Hoffman (3 goals). And I think MacLean had tapped Erik Condra on the shoulder to be the next shooter if Perreault had missed. (Not really, but you get my drift). I know MacLean likes to play hunches, but seriously, Colin Greening?
* "Misfire" was the word of the night for the Senators. There were a number of plays on the night where players were in prime shooting position and the puck simply trickled off the end of their stick or bounced over it. Mark Stone, David Legwand, Erik Karlsson were all victims of what must have been bad ice.
*In fact, Stone must have been paying tribute to the return of Condra to the lineup when he lost the puck into the corner while on a second period breakaway.
* Condra was in the lineup, along with Greening because Bobby Ryan and Alex Chiasson were scratches. Ryan was expected from the morning skate, but Chiasson was a bit of a surprise. After the game, MacLean was asked for an update, and he said " They were all maintenance...bobos. We just felt that another day would give them an opportunity...we are going to check on them in the morning and we expect that all of them probably will be available if we want to use them."
* MacLean used his slot machine to come up with some new line combinations as the second period wound down. They were interesting, but they were effective. Ottawa was being outshot 24-12 just past the midway point of the second, and were on their heels. They didn't allow a shot in the last 8:55 and narrowed the gap to 24-19 by the end of the frame. "I just couldn't fight myself any longer" MacLean said, referring to the mixing up of the lines.
* The best player on the ice might have been Jared Cowen, along with his partner Cody Ceci. Under a lot of scrutiny considering his shaky start to the season, Cowen has established his game by simplifying it. He was credited with 9 hits, 2 blocked shots and 4 takeaways to go along with 2 shots on goal. He played a team-high 27:59, including almost 3 of the 5 minutes in overtime.
* Another blueliner who has been quietly improving is Eric Gryba. He has even taken to leading the rush more in the last couple of games. He has had mixed results from his forays into the offensive zone, and he will never be confused with Erik Karlsson, but becoming more comfortable with that part of his game will only help.
* I had to check heading into overtime to see if Blake Wheeler, US Olympian, was even in the game. I hadn't noticed him once for the Jets.
* As I said in my preview, the Senators have had Pavelec's number in the past, but he played a spectacular game, especially in the third period and overtime. He made 37 saves plus stopping the couple of Senators who actually hit the net in the shootout to earn the win.
* The Kid Line, when it was still intact, continued to display their great chemisty, especially early on. The first big applause for the night was for them about 6 minutes into the game on their second shift. They cycled the puck and had a couple of close chances, combining with Ceci and Cowen on the blue line. They did get hemmed in their own zone on their next shift but kept the play to the outside, and didn't allow a dangerous chance against. Depending on who is available for the next game, putting this line back together would be priority #1 if I was MacLean. Every time they are on the ice, good things seem to happen.
The Senators will put their undefeated in regulation streak on the line when they host the Maple Leafs on Sunday evening, with a 6pm start. This is the rescheduled game that was postponed from a couple of weeks ago in the wake of the Parliament Hill/War Memorial tragedy.