For a Night, the Senators Showed the NHL's Best Team
Ottawa Senators 5, Colorado Avalanche 2: Full-Ice Control
The Ottawa Senators didn’t steal this one — they owned it. A 5–2 win over the Colorado Avalanche at Canadian Tire Centre felt calm, deliberate, and quietly authoritative. From the opening period, Ottawa controlled the pace and territory, holding Colorado to just four shots in the first and setting a tone that never really wavered.
There was no early scoreboard payoff, but the Senators’ structure told the story. They closed lanes, won races, and didn’t let Colorado’s speed dictate terms. When the goals came, they arrived in clusters — not through chaos, but through pressure that eventually cracked an excellent team.
For a club still trying to define itself in the standings, this was one of those nights that felt heavier than two points.
Key Point One: Ottawa Dictated the Terms.
Ottawa didn’t sit back and react; they pushed first. Nick Cousins’ goal early in the second period was the product of assertive neutral-zone play and a clean read off Artem Zub’s stretch pass, the kind of simple execution that rewards teams willing to skate.
Even after Parker Kelly tied the game briefly, the Senators responded immediately with a goal from Ridly Greig. That 17-second answer mattered. It told Colorado this wasn’t going to be a waiting game.
Key Point Two: No Senators Passengers, the Team Played in Layers
Claude Giroux’s third-period goal felt like the exhale Ottawa had earned. The veteran read the 2-on-1 perfectly and finished cleanly, extending a lead that had already been built through collective buy-in rather than individual brilliance.
That was the through-line all night. Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, and Artem Zub all played within the same shape. Ottawa didn’t give Colorado time to stack pressure, and that discipline kept the Avalanche chasing.
Key Point Three: James Reimer Was Quiet and Stable
James Reimer didn’t steal the game, and that was the point. His 16 saves came at the correct times, especially during Colorado’s brief third-period push after Valeri Nichushkin cut the lead to one.
Reimer looked composed, economical, and connected to what was happening in front of him. When Ottawa needed calm, they got it.
Final Thoughts from the Ottawa Perspective
This was one of Ottawa’s more complete performances of the season, not because it was flawless, but because it was repeatable. They beat a top-tier opponent by managing space rather than chasing moments.
There are still inconsistencies in their record, but nights like this reinforce what the Senators believe they are capable of when structure and effort align. Claude Giroux climbing the all-time points list and Tim Stutzle inching toward national milestones added context, but the larger takeaway was simpler.
When Ottawa commits to a full-ice game, they don’t just survive against elite teams — they control them. The challenge now is to prove this wasn’t an outlier but a standard.