Ottawa Senators Close Out 2024 Home Schedule With 3-2 Overtime Victory Over Pittsburgh Penguins

Brady Tkachuk scored in overtime as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Saturday night at Canadian Tire Centre. Thomas Chabot had a goal and an assist.

The game started with a weird vibe. Anton Forsberg was the scheduled starter but tweaked something in the warmup, so Linus Ullmark was called into action at the last second. That forced an EBUG situation with U Ottawa goalie Zack Dietz getting the call as a backup.

Ullmark was excellent once again, making 25 saves, including an incredible blocker save on Sidney Crosby. The Senators have now won five of their last six games. Ullmark is 5-0 in that span.

The Senators opened the scoring in the first period. Claude Giroux, showing great poise as he circled the Penguins net, drew goalie Tristan Jarry out of position. Giroux came out the other side and fed Chabot, whose slapshot beat Jarry before he could get back.

That lead held up until early in the third when Pittsburgh's Blake Lizotte buried a puck into the vacant net during a scramble. The Sens went ahead on Drake Batherson's 13th goal of the season, deflecting home a Chabot pass off his skate.

But the Pens replied again, tying the game and forcing overtime on Kris Letang's shot from distance past Ullmark, who was screened by Chabot.

Tkachuk's game winner was a beauty, a backhand toe drag on Erik Karlsson to set up the seam he needed for his game winning wrist shot. That's the captain's ninth career overtime winning goal.

The win moves the Senators into a playoff spot. They're part of a six-team logjam for the two wild card spots, all separated by just one point. As importantly, they're just one point behind the third place Boston Bruins for third in the Atlantic.

With the World Juniors in town, the Senators now begin a nine-game road trip on Tuesday night in Seattle. The trip does have five days without any games around Christmas, which will break up the long trip nicely.