Claude Giroux’s overtime winner gave the Ottawa Senators a stunning 4-3 comeback victory over the visiting Nashville Predators on Monday.
The Senators trailed 3-0 after the first period, but stormed back thanks to a revived offense and a perfect relief effort from goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. Starter Mads Sogaard was pulled after allowing three goals on 11 first-period shots, and Korpisalo then stopped all 17 shots faced the rest of the way.
Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle each had a goal and an assist, with Stutzle’s helper setting up Giroux during a two-on-one rush in overtime. Drake Batherson scored Ottawa’s other goal.
Monday’s result ended a two-game (0-1-1) winless drought for the Senators, who are 4-1-2 in their last seven games.
The Predators are 0-1-1 in their last two games, and 1-3-1 in their last five.
Philip Tomasino had a goal and an assist, and Roman Josi had two assists. Michael McCarron and Yakov Trenin also scored for the Predators.
Juuse Saros stopped 31 of 35 shots.
A fortunate deflection led to Nashville’s opening goal 8:26 into the first period. Josi’s shot into the corner rattled around the boards and right out in front of the net, where McCarron buried the loose puck.
Tomasino deposited a well-placed shot past Sogaard at 16:30 of the first period, and Trenin added a tip-in goal with a minute remaining before intermission.
The second frame was the exact opposite of the first, as the Senators rebounded for three goals of their own.
Batherson started the comeback effort with a goal at the 5:21 mark. Four minutes later, Mathieu Joseph blocked a shot near center ice and set up Stutzle for a successful wrist shot from the slot.
Tkachuk got the equalizer 17:10 into the second, right off a Josh Norris faceoff win in Nashville’s end. Norris sent the puck right to Tkachuk, who maneuvered past defenseman Dante Fabbro and scored his team-leading 21st goal.
Ottawa outshot Nashville 14-7 during the scoreless third period, but Saros made several big saves to maintain the deadlock.
Predators defenseman Alexandre Carrier didn’t return after suffering an undisclosed injury in the second period.
–Field Level Media
