The Ottawa Senators are seeking a faster start out of the blocks in their bid to halt a four-game road losing skid Wednesday against the host Chicago Blackhawks.
After overcoming a 2-1 third-period deficit to beat the lowly San Jose Sharks 5-3 on Saturday at home, the struggling Senators surrendered the game’s first three goals two nights later in a 5-4 shootout loss at the Washington Capitals.
“I don’t like getting down 3-0 but we showed a lot of character coming back,” Ottawa head coach Travis Green said after his team fell to 1-5-1 in its last seven games.
Shane Pinto scored goals in the second and third periods to highlight the rally against Washington.
“I think starts are a big part of the game, and in the last two games I didn’t think we had too sharp of starts,” Pinto said. “Yeah, we’ve got to be more mature there and just have better starts.”
Claude Giroux collected a goal and an assist and captain Brady Tkachuk tallied in his second consecutive contest since returning from an injury, boosting his team-leading goal total to 23.
“Going into the third, we were down 3-1 but we felt good about our game, but we knew if we kept playing the same way we would get our chances,” Giroux told TSN 1200.
Tim Stutzle notched two assists to extend his franchise-record assist streak to 11 games and career-best point streak to 12 games (four goals, 14 assists). Stutzle leads the team in assists (44) and points (63).
While Ottawa has been headed in the wrong direction, Chicago has answered a dismal 5-16-5 run by winning consecutive games for the first time since earning three straight victories Dec. 15-19.
Offense hasn’t been an issue for the Blackhawks over their last three games. They followed up a 7-5 setback to the Vegas Golden Knights Thursday with a 6-3 win in Anaheim two nights later and a 5-1 romp over Los Angeles on Monday.
Ryan Donato continued his torrid stretch by scoring his team-leading 22nd goal Monday to extend his points streak to five games (three goals, five assists). He owns 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) over his last 16 games.
Spencer Knight shined in his debut with Chicago, recording a season-high 41 saves versus the Kings. He was acquired by the Blackhawks along with a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft from the Florida Panthers Saturday for defenseman Seth Jones and a fourth-round selection in the 2026 draft.
“I said it, no matter how smoothly things are going, the first week or so is going to feel like chaos,” Knight said. “That’s just the way it is. But I think I’ve learned to embrace that. I’ve been through a lot of difficult challenges in my life. It’s another step in the journey. I think I’m looking to bring what I witnessed and was part of in Florida, bring it here.”
Teuvo Teravainen, who has notched two assists in back-to-back games, is riding a five-game points streak (two goals, six assists).
–Field Level Media
