So the last two games the Ottawa Senators have played on the road have been pretty unique. To say the least. Two games, sandwiching a 5 game homestand are two of the highest scoring games of the entire NHL season, combining for 23 goals. The Senators have scored on more than one out of every 4 shots in their last 2 road games (12 goals on 46 shots).
Last night it was not the best game the Senators have played, but somehow they made it work and although it was in doubt right up until Craig Anderson robbed Jamie Benn and Mike Hoffman banked the rebound into the empty net that there could be a sigh of relief from Senators fans.
The Senators were thoroughly outplayed in the first period but a couple of Dallas turnovers that Ottawa capitalized on had them up 2-0 on probably the best team in the league in the first quarter of the season. Again Ottawa didn't have much going in the second, but after Patrick Sharp had made it 2-1 and just when you thought "here we go", Mark Stone did what Mark Stone does and picked off an ill advised pass and put it past Antti Niemi. That goal chased Niemi from the net, with 3 goals allowed on just 9 shots. His replacement, Kari Lehtonen's night went from bad to worse. Not too long after allowing a Mike Hoffman blast past him on the power play to make it 4-1 on the first shot he faced, he was bowled over by teammate John Klingberg in a play that was reminiscent of Lehner-MacArthur last February. Lehtonen had to leave the game after just 8 minutes, forcing Niemi back in.
Jean Gabriel Pageau's first of 2 nice goals, this one shorthanded made it 5-1 early in the third, and normally that would be it. But Jamie Benn is a third period wizard and he scored shortanded two minutes after Pageau to make it 5-2 and that was quickly followed by a tremendous snap shot from Tyler Seguin less than 2 minutes later and the Stars were back in business.
Pageau scored again on a breakaway bank-pass from Alex Chiasson to restore a 3 goal cushion, but the Stars still wouldn't go away. Benn scored his second of the game with just over 3 minutes left to get within striking distance, and with the goalie pulled for the extra attacker Benn had what looked like his hat trick goal on his stick. The diving Anderson robbed the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner, or else the last two minutes would have been white-knuckled, but the save and Hoffman's empty netter was essentially a two-goal swing that finally secured the two points.
Ryan's goal out of nowhere to open the scoring was huge, as was Stone getting in the goal column for the first time since his suspension (and adding two assists). They are key players and if both get on a roll the Senators are pretty dangerous in the top two lines.
Ryan and Erik Karlsson extended their points streak to 9 and 7 games respectively, and even though the Senators were out-played they did find a way to beat the best team in the NHL on that given night which is really all they can ask for.
The Senators will try to keep some of their scoring mojo working as they are right back at it...
The Senators flew north after the game to Denver, where they will take on the Colorado Avalanche. With a very sustainable 26% shooting percentage in their last two road games, the Senators are certainly making the most of the limited opportunities they are creating.
The Avalanche are playing the dreaded first game back off a long (7 game) road trip, and the Senators are playing back to back, so something has got to give.
Semyon Varlamov will start for the Avalanche, after missing the first six games of the road trip with an injury but winning the last game 4-1 in his return to the net. The numbers for Avalanche goaltending have not been good and it has certainly been a factor in the Avalanche's early season struggles.
Craig Anderson will likely get the start again, what with Chris Driedger being the backup and two days off before the next game in Arizona.
This will be a tough back to back in thin air, but this is a team the Senators should beat, although taking the two unexpected points in the front half of the back to back takes a bit of the pressure off.
Ottawa certainly needs to play better, because they can't possibly keep living on the edge like the Dallas and counting on ridiculously bad turnovers and equally questionable goaltending to keep them in games.