It wasn't exactly the way you want to win a game, but at this point in the season the "how many" greatly trumps the "how". The final score of 4-3 is all that matters, and Kyle Turris played the hero this time around as the Senators won their third consecutive extra time game.
The Senators built up a 3-0 lead in the first period, powered by a couple of 2-man advantages that they were able to capitalize on. As they have done in the past, but less and less in recent games, the Senators seemed to sit back on the lead and it nearly cost them big time. The Capitals chipped away and eventually tied it up, and very well could have taken the lead if not for the heroics of Andrew Hammond, making his best save off Nicklas Backstrom who was all alone on the doorstep for two cracks, both turned aside.
Somehow the second Washington goal was allowed despite the fact that Troy Brouwer was standing in the crease behind Hammond at the time. Brouwer was tied up with Eric Gryba at the time, but it was clear Gryba was trying to force Brouwer wide before he entered the crease but I guess the official didn't see it that way, and there wasn't much debate from any of the Senators after the goal, so it counted without discussion.
The overtime was chance-filled, but it was a tremendous effort from Turris to steal the puck and go two zones on a breakaway that seemed agonizingly slow as Turris was nearing the end of his shift and barely had enough gas to elude the backcheck and put the puck 5-hole for the win.
The Senators didn't get much help, with both Boston and Detroit winning in shootouts, but like I mentioned yesterday the Penguins are very much in play. Pittsburgh lost to Columbus thanks to a hat trick from former Senators first rounder Nick Foligno. The Senators are now within 3 points of the Pens, who have won just 3 of their last 11 and play this afternoon against rival Philadelphia. The Flyers aren't playoff bound, but you know at this point they would love nothing more than to make sure the Penguins join them on the outside looking in.
A Penguins loss and a Senators win tonight in Toronto would make Tuesday's Pittsburgh-Ottawa game at CTC a showdown for a playoff spot.
That quest begins with the Senators needing to do something they couldn't do 8 nights ago, and that is beat the Maple Leafs. Toronto is coming off a game where they allowed 47 shots and only James Reimer kept the game with the Bruins even close. No doubt after that performance Reimer will get the night off and the Senators will face Jonathan Bernier. Ottawa, who has been the hunter for all but a couple of days of the last two months, can turn the tables on the Bruins, who are off until Wednesday. If the Senators can continue this roll and beat the Penguins and Leafs, then they will leapfrog the Bruins and put even more pressure on Boston, who would face must-win games to get themselves back in the race. If they are going to do it, it will come on the road because they finished their home schedule against the Leafs on Saturday night.
For weeks Senators fans have held that game in hand on the Bruins in high regard, and the time has come to cash it in.
The Senators are within 3 points of 3 teams, and not much outside of their own play has gone right for them. If they have any Karma in the bank this is the time to cash it in, because time is running out. How big does that loss on March 10th loss to the Bruins, where they outplayed Boston but couldn't solve Rask, still loom today? That was a huge 4 point swing and might still end up being the difference.