Senators short of Original Six sweep in loss to Montreal Canadiens

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HABS 6, SENATORS 3

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The Ottawa Senators came up short in their pursuit of the Original Six sweep.

Trying to become the first National Hockey League team since 1980 to beat all of the Original Six teams in a calendar month, the Senators saw their six-game winning streak end with a 6-3 loss on Tuesday night to the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.

Nick Suzuki scored on the power play to keep the Habs playoff hopes very much alive with 4:37 left in the third period by beating Linus Ullmark and handing the Senators their first loss in regulation in March.

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“The first two periods I liked our checking game. I didn’t think we raised our game high enough in the third,” coach Travis Green told TSN 1200’s Gord Wilson. “We turned over some pucks, uncharacteristically, and we didn’t some pucks behind them.

“They got some momentum. We turned the puck over too many teams. Both teams tried to play a direct period in the third and they did it better.”

Travis Hamonic had a two-point effort while Drake Batherson and Michael Amadio also chipped in with goals. Samuel Montembeault had a standout effort for the Habs with both teams battling for a playoff spot.

The Habs kept battling back before Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher put it away into an empty net to pick up a pivotal two points.

Hamonic scored his first goal in 76 games to end a drought that dated back to Dec. 15, 2023 to give the Senators a 3-2 lead at 6:13 of the third. But Anderson tied it with 9:38 left in the third.

Lane Hutson tied it up 2-2 at 3:38 of the third

RIDING THE HOT HAND

Ullmark, who came into this game with a 6-0-1 record and a 2.69 goals-against average in his last seven starts, became the first goalie since 1971 to make six consecutive starts against the Original Six.

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He was trying to become the first NHL goalie in history to defeat all the Original Six in consecutive starts.

Ullmark has supplied the Senators with the elite goaltending this club has needed but the club could have used more stops in the third.

Christian Dvorak opened the scoring only 2:07 into the game. He broke in alone and beat Ullmark on the stick side, except he lost balance because he didn’t have a stick to lean on.

He had lost it moments earlier when a shot from Patrik Laine knocked the stick out of Ullmark’s hand and he had no time to recover it. Then again, none of his teammates got it for him either.

“In a perfect world somebody would have went to get his stick for him (because) it was too far away for him to get it. It’s easier said after the fact,” Green said.

BAD HABITS

The Senators and Habs came into this game as two of the NHL’s hottest teams this month. The Senators are 7-2-1 in their past 10 games and a 7-1-2 run by Montreal has moved the club back into the playoff picture.

Ottawa has dropped three straight to Montreal this season and has been outscored 15-7 in that stretch. The Habs scored a 4-2 victory over the Senators in Montreal on Oct. 12 and Ullmark was chased only 25 minutes into a 5-2 loss in Ottawa on Feb. 22.

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This looked like a game between two teams desperate to get the points and it was hard-fought in every aspect.

That’s what you need to see at this time of year. These two teams went toe-to-toe and traded scoring chances. The Senators entered this game six points ahead of the Habs in the standings.

Amadio’s fourth goal in six games gave the Senators a 2-1 lead heading to the third period. He was able to tip a loose puck that found its way through Montembeault into the net at 12:38 of the second.

“You want to close it out and we weren’t good enough close to the whole third period,” Hamonic said. “It’s been a good stretch. We know that. We have to reset and I’d say the same thing if we won.”

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IN THE RACE

The building is alive when the Habs are in a playoff race and this night was no different, especially after an early goal by Montreal.

The Senators had to withstand the early push by the Habs and after 20 minutes the two clubs were tied 1-1. Ullmark and Montembeault both had to come up with big stops on glorious opportunities.

Batherson has found his scoring touch at the right time and he’s been helped by the acquisition of newcomer Dylan Cozens.

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He scored his third goal in his third straight game by beating Montembeault with an absolute blast on the glove side at 16:42 of the first to complete an end-to-end play. That tied it up 1-1 and was Batherson’s 19th of the year.

“We liked our first two periods. It’s a credit to then, they played well in the third period,” Batherson told Wilson. “I don’t think we were as desperate as we were. I felt like it was the other way around (Saturday) in Toronto.

“They pushed and were able to get a few to win the game.”

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

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