Ottawa Senators Win 5-4 Overtime Thriller Over The Washington Capitals

Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre provided yet another confidence boost for the Ottawa Senators.

Facing the NHL’s top team, the Senators blew a 4-2 lead in the third period but kept their composure and defeated the Washington Capitals 5-4 in overtime. On his 28th birthday, Thomas Chabot scored the game-winner for the Sens, who earned their third consecutive victory to hold steady among the Atlantic’s big three.

Anton Forsberg made 31 saves for the win, while Josh Norris led the offense with a penalty-shot goal and two assists, including one on Chabot’s winner after some strong work with Shane Pinto along the boards.

Ottawa’s special teams have rarely ever had an evening like this, contributing two shorthanded goals, two power-play goals for, two power-play goals against, and two shorthanded penalty-shot attempts.

After a scoreless first period, the Senators struck first. Ridly Greig acted as a backboard for a hard pass through the crease from David Perron to give Ottawa a 1-0 lead. Remarkably, it was Perron’s first point since joining the Senators in the offseason. He’s played just 13 games this season due to injury and family matters.

The Capitals tied the game when Connor McMichael was given plenty of time and space to walk in and beat Forsberg on the short side.

That’s when Ottawa’s penalty kill took over.

With 2:23 left in the second period, Norris was hauled down on a shorthanded breakaway and awarded a penalty shot. The attempt felt like it took forever, but Norris eventually snapped a shot past Caps goalie Charlie Lindgren to make it 2-1.

Just 38 seconds later, Norris and Pinto, still on the penalty kill, broke out on a 2-on-1. Pinto fed Norris, who was stopped by Lindgren, but Pinto swooped in to bury the rebound, making it 3-1 after two periods. Pinto later got a penalty shot too but couldn’t bury it.

What had been a scoreless chess match suddenly became a horse race.

The two teams exchanged power-play goals (Jake Sanderson and Dylan Strome) in the third period, each taking advantage of soft calls. But now down 4-2, the Capitals stormed back on goals by Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome to tie the game at 4.

The Capitals continued to push hard in the final minutes, but the Sens were able to hang on to assure their point.

In overtime, with Norris and Pinto battling for the puck along the boards inside the Caps blueline, all three Washington defenders converged on them, leaving Chabot wide open in front. Pinto worked his butt off to get the puck to him, and Chabot snuffed out Washington’s hopes like used birthday candles.

The victory leaves the Senators four points behind Toronto and five back of first-place Florida. Things are getting interesting in the capital.

The Sens’ next game is on Saturday night at home against the Minnesota Wild.

Notes: Claude Giroux’s third-period assist was the 1,100th point of his career… Ovechkin’s goal was his 876th, leaving him 19 shy of Wayne Gretzky… The Sens held a moment of silence for former Ottawa broadcaster and Washington Capitals executive Shawn Simpson, who passed away on Wednesday.