Kings 2, Senators 1: Ottawa Comes Up One Bounce Short

I’ve watched enough hockey winters to know the difference between a team beaten and a team that merely came up short. On Monday night in Los Angeles, the Ottawa Senators fell into the latter category. This wasn’t a limp outing or a night when the legs failed them. Instead, the Senators played a composed, disciplined road game—the kind coaches tuck away in their mental binder as “good enough to win.”

And for long stretches on the road in Los Angeles, they were good enough. They checked tightly, clogged the middle of the ice, and waited for their moment. When Fabian Zetterlund banged home the rebound of Nikolas Matinpalo’s shot midway through the third, the Senators looked like a team that had settled in. On a long road swing, finding a rhythm is half the battle. But this sport has always had a cruel little habit: sometimes the puck chooses its own winner. And when Brandt Clarke’s point shot deflected off Artem Zub’s leg with the power play expiring, that habit showed its teeth again.

The Senators Played Another Steady Game

What stood out was not the sting of the loss but the steadiness with which Ottawa played. They allowed just 22 shots, and young goalie Leevi Meriläinen held his ground, looking every bit the poised understudy asked to weather a tight-checking game. Ottawa didn’t chase the Kings’ speed, nor did they panic when Los Angeles opened the scoring on a beautifully executed, end-to-end passing play.

Instead, the Senators stayed in structure. Perhaps that’s the most encouraging sign on a trip that will test their resolve. They didn’t generate a flood of chances, but they didn’t give up much either. Travis Green had it right afterward: this was a contest decided not by strategy or special teams but by a single, unfriendly bounce. And for a team trying to build confidence, there’s no shame in that.

Three Key Points from the Senators’ Perspective:

Key Point 1: Meriläinen held his own. He gave Ottawa stable, composed goaltending in a tight-checking game.

Key Point 2: Zetterlund continues to be quietly effective. He scored again and played honest, north–south hockey.

Key Point 3: Ottawa’s defensive structure traveled well. The Senators limited Los Angeles to low-danger looks for much of the night.

Final Thought About the Senators

If you’re looking for signs of a team drifting, you won’t find them with the Senators. This was a mature road game undone by one small bit of bad luck. On a seven-game trip, that foundation matters more than the standings line.