It was the kind of smothering road victory (and stable goaltending) that makes an NHL coach smile.
Tim Stutzle and Ridly Greig each had a goal and an assist as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4–1 on Tuesday night.
James Reimer wasn’t overly busy, stopping 21 shots, but he came up with several huge saves in the win. None was bigger than his second-period stop on Cole Sillinger’s shorthanded breakaway, one of the few loose moments for Ottawa on the night.
The game featured two underachieving Eastern Conference teams trying to claw their way back into playoff relevance, and it showed. Checking was tight throughout, and scoring chances were at a premium. Despite recent off-ice drama, the Senators have quietly collected eight of a possible 10 points over their last five games.
The Senators opened the scoring just 3:30 into the first period. Tyler Kleven took a slick pass from Claude Giroux, dragged the puck into the slot, and ripped a shot over the glove of starting goaltender Elvis Merzļikins.
Former Ottawa 67 Sean Monahan responded just over four minutes later with a shot from a similar angle at Ottawa's end, marking Reimer’s lone blemish of the night. The goal stemmed from a less-than-robust rim attempt by the veteran netminder.
Two-and-a-half minutes later, Tim Stützle took over a shift, circling the entire offensive zone with the puck. He grabbed it behind the Columbus net, circled high in the zone, and then sprinted in to beat Merzļikins five-hole to restore Ottawa’s lead. Merzļikins left the game late in the first period due to illness and was replaced by backup Jet Greaves.
The low-scoring, low-shot affair carried into the third period, when Ridly Greig gave the Senators some breathing room with his seventh goal of the season. Zach Werenski attempted to hold the puck in at the Ottawa blue line, but it bounced past him, leading to a 3-on-2 rush. Greig carried the puck over the line, dropped it to Dylan Cozens, who fed it back Greig, and he beat Greaves with backhander between the legs.
Ottawa sealed the game with just over three minutes remaining. After Columbus pulled its goaltender, Greig made a diving play along the boards to chip the puck out, springing Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk on a 2-on-0. Stützle passed up the empty net, handing it off to Tkachuk to finish the play.
The win marked Reimer’s first NHL victory in 279 days. For the second straight game, he delivered the timely saves that the Senators and their fan base had been pining for, giving the club a chance to win.
As the horn went, the win temporarily moved Ottawa within four points of the Buffalo Sabres for the second wild-card spot, pending out-of-town results.
The Senators continue their road trip Thursday night in Nashville against the Predators.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa