Senators 3, Jets 2 (OT): Hanging Around Pays Off
The Ottawa Senators left Winnipeg with two points they had no business giving back. A 3–2 overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night felt less like a clean steal and more like a slow squeeze — stay close, stay patient, and wait for the door to crack.
From the Senators’ point of view, this was a game where they were second-best for long stretches. Winnipeg had the puck more, dictated the middle of the ice, and looked comfortable protecting a 2–1 lead late. But hockey has a habit of punishing teams that don’t finish. Ottawa didn’t panic, didn’t chase, and didn’t cheat for offence until it had to.
The tying goal at 18:06 of the third period told the story. Jake Sanderson threw a point shot toward traffic, it clipped Mark Scheifele on the way through, and suddenly the game reset. Not drawn up but earned by persistence.
Overtime took all of two minutes. A stretch pass, a 2-on-1 read, and Tim Stützle fed Brady Tkachuk for a one-timer that ended it at 2:11. Simple hockey, executed quickly.
Key Point One: Ottawa Didn’t Blink
The Senators could have folded early. They didn’t. Even as they were hemmed in, they stayed connected, trusted their structure, and waited for their chances. That patience turned a frustrating night into a productive one.
Key Point Two: Winnipeg Let It Linger
From the Jets’ side, this was a missed opportunity. Neal Pionk and Logan Stanley scored, Connor Hellebuyck gave them a chance, and yet the door stayed ajar. When you don’t clear your zone cleanly late, hockey finds a way to even the score.
Key Point Three: The Senators’ Stützle Drives Outcomes
Tim Stützle didn’t score, but he ran the game when it mattered. Three assists, four straight multipoint games, and the calm to slow overtime down just long enough to make the right play. Stars don’t always announce themselves loudly — sometimes they tilt the ice.
Final Thoughts from the Senators’ Perspective
These are the points Ottawa has been leaving on the table all season. Close games. One-goal losses. Nights where effort didn’t show up on the scoreboard. This time, it did.
Linus Ullmark made 23 saves without stealing the game, which was enough. Nick Cousins chipped in early, Kurtis MacDermid picked up his first point of the season in his 300th NHL game, and the bench stayed alive when it could have sagged.
For Winnipeg, it’s another reminder that “good enough” isn’t enough right now. For Ottawa, it’s proof that sticking with your game eventually gets rewarded — even when the game doesn’t love you back.
Sometimes the lesson isn’t how you win.
It’s that you finally did.