On the second half of a back to back, travelling overnight and playing a rested team that has had a week off, you might accept a point an run with it before the puck even dropped.
Through 2 periods of Friday night's Senators game in New Jersey, you definitely would have taken a point seeing how gassed they were, and with 5 minutes left you might have tuned the TV over to the RedBlacks comeback that was going on at the same time.
But this time around the team that had given up 3 third period leads of at least 2 goals flipped the script and created a comeback of their own scoring twice in 34 seconds to even the score and force extra time.
New Jersey ended up winning the shootout, but the point the Senators earned made it 10 times in 11 games that they have not left empty handed.
Ottawa got out to a 2-0 first period lead on goals by Mike Hoffman, on a great setup from Chris DiDomenico and then Johnny Oduya, his first as a Senator. New Jersey got on the board late in the frame, as a breakdown in defensive coverage allowed Jimmy Hayes to go in along and fire a shot over the shoulder of Mike Condon.
Adam Henrique and Brian Gibbons scored in the second to give New Jersey a lead, and Damon Severson scored his first goal to put the Devils up by 2 with six minutes left. Leading up to that goal, despite not having much energy there was some optimism that the Senators were still just a shot away from tying it up, but that fourth goal looked like the final nail in the coffin.
Somehow, with the net empty Mark Stone bunted home a goal off a shot from Mike Hoffman that went off Keith Kincaid in the air and Stone had the presence of mind to reach around the goal post and tap it in. They got some life, and again got Condon out and DiDomenico scored his first NHL goal off a nice feed from Derick Brassard from behind the net that DiDomenico jammed past Kinkaid.
Ottawa went on to lose in the fourth round of the shootout when Jesper Bratt deked Condon out of his jockstrap, but that was a point that the Senators might not have deserved but will take. They now have a rare weekend off, and come home to face the Habs on Monday to open a 3 game homestand that will end with the red-hot Vegas Golden Knights before they head to Sweden for the Global Series with the Avalanche.
Ottawa has done a good job enduring injuries and have gotten production for the lower half of their roster, including the likes of Tom Pyatt, DiDomenico and Nate Thompson of late. DiDomenico was one of the better players on the night and is making a pretty good case to remain with the team and fill that still-open 12th forward spot on the roster, even when Kyle Turris and Bobby Ryan eventually return.