Senators vs. Penguins Final Score: Ottawa Tops Pittsburgh in Double Overtime to Narrow Series

The Pittsburgh Penguins struggled to get past the New York Islanders in their first series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and it was looking like they weren’t having that problem with the Ottawa Senators. The Senators were in a 0-2 hole coming into the game but we needed a lot of extra hockey to decide a Game 3 winner.

Ottawa was hoping that the return of Jason Spezza boosted their offense but while the crowd was into the game the whole way through, things just didn’t go the Sens way. In his return, the Senators center managed just three shots on goal and was largely kept as a non-factor in Ottawa’s offense. This was the exact scenario the Pens were hoping for as it was clear Spezza, who hadn’t played since the end of January, had significant rust that needed to be shaken off.

Thankfully for the Sens, Game 3 lasted long enough for Spezza to start getting his face-off swagger back, as the veteran was wining major face-offs late in the game.

The Senators refused to back down at home and after trailing by a goal the whole game, were lifted by the stick of Daniel Alfredsson with mere seconds left in the third period. Alfredsson’s game-tying goal sent things to overtime where the Senators tried to stay fresh and get a game in this series. That was asking a lot though of both teams as 80 minutes of hockey — including a full overtime period– was not enough to determine a winner in Ottawa on Sunday.

We hadn’t had a game enter double overtime this postseason until the Sens and Pens needed the extra, extra period to settle things in Game 3. The length of the game was a true testament to the netminding on both ends of the ice as Tomas Vokoun was matched blow-for-blow and tremendous save after save by Ottawa’s Craig Anderson.

Ottawa was brilliant in overtime, as not even an early penalty kill could slow them, which is something that drains teams in regulation let alone in the fifth period of a game. Things got tough in the second overtime when the Senators lost Chris Neil on a brutal hit against the corner boards in which Neil tripped and was shoved into the boards. Neil’s arm was hanging when he got up which is not something the Senators wanted to see.

But the injury didn’t spoil the night as Colin Greening sniped a shot past Tomas Vokoun to win Game 3 and narrow the series to a 2-1 Penguins lead.

Coming into the game, the Senators best chance at winning a game and making this a series was Sunday night and they failed to capitalize. Ottawa played Pittsburgh closer and tighter than they’ve been played all postseason long, including the Islanders. There is still work to be done but hte Senators took the Penguins deep into a huge playoff game and came out on top.

It’s safe to say this series is far from over.