Senators Finish Western Road Trip with Loss Against Avalanche

Summary:

• The Ottawa Senators ended a week-long western road trip with a 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. 
• Sunday’s game ended in a frenetic manner with 7 goals scored in 11 minutes by both teams. 
• Up next, the Sens will host the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

The Ottawa Senators wrapped up their week-long western road trip with a challenging 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Sunday. 

Despite their best effort, the team coached by Travis Green was ultimately outpaced by Colorado’s relentless play.

The 53-year-old who formerly coached the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils of the NHL, along with the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets and Vancouver’s top minor league affiliate was named the Senator’s head coach in May. 

The Sens Looked Fatigued, Colorado Set a High Tempo

The game kicked off with head coach Jared Bednar’s team setting a high tempo, putting the Senators under constant pressure. 

Ottawa seemed fatigued at times but managed to keep the game within reach, thanks largely to Anton Forsberg’s performance in the net. 

Forsberg made several critical saves early on to keep his team competitive, despite having to briefly leave the game twice in the second period due to skate issues, forcing backup Linus Ullmark to step in for over four minutes.

Colorado managed to capitalize on key moments, scoring twice in the final seconds of both the first and second periods. 

Nikolai Kovalenko, son of former Avalanche former Andrei Kovalenko, scored his first NHL goal with just eight seconds left in the first period, putting Colorado up 1-0. 

In the second, Josh Manson extended the Avalanche’s lead with another last-minute goal, leaving Ottawa trailing 2-0 heading into the third.

Frenetic Finish: 7 Goals in 11 Minutes

The game’s intensity spiked in the final eleven minutes, with both teams trading goals in a frenetic finish. 

Brady Tkachuk and Nick Cousins ignited Ottawa’s scoring drive, each finding the net to tie the game at 2-2. 

However, Colorado quickly regained control, with Logan O’Connor and Ross Colton scoring back-to-back goals within 90 seconds, restoring their two-goal lead. 

Claude Giroux responded to bring the score to 4-3, but a late empty-netter by Nathan MacKinnon made it 5-3 for Colorado. 

Giroux managed to score again with ten seconds left, narrowing the final score to 5-4, but Ottawa ran out of time.

The Senators fell to 4-4, which placed them in a crowded field of six Atlantic Division teams hovering at a .500 record. 

They have little time to regroup, as they’re set to return home and face the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. 

The Avalanche will host the Chicago Blackhawks (2-6-1) at Ball Arena in Denver on Monday night. Get the latest odds for these games and more with a selection of the best odd makers in Canada.