It was far from the Ottawa Senators’ best game of the season, as the Anaheim Ducks dominated in all aspects of the game. This included possession, physicality and special teams. The Ducks chased goaltender Mike Condon out of the net after the first period, and Andrew Hammond got his first chance to play in the NHL again since October 28, 2016. Despite his efforts, the goalie change was not able to ignite the Senators, as the Ducks continued taking the game away to a 5-1 victory.
First Period
It was another tough start for the Senators two afternoons in a row, as they once again allow a goal less than five minutes into the game. Anaheim’s Joseph Cramarossa scored cleanly with a backhand shot off a rebound to give the Ducks their first lead of the game.
The penalty kill has been an issue for both teams recently, and both teams took advantage early on. First, the Senators got a power-play goal early as Ryan Dzingel snapped home a shot, receiving an accurate pass from Bobby Ryan to tie the game at 1-1.
Soon after, the Ducks took their turn to score against Ottawa’s penalty kill unit, as Corey Perry slid the puck past Condon while making his presence known by blocking the goalie’s view. The Senators then allowed another goal shorthanded, as the players were unable to stabilize their positioning in the zone, scrambling as Antoine Vermette scored past a spinning Condon.
Anaheim played the better first period, controlling the puck forcing Condon to make a few big saves especially off of a couple of odd-man rushes. The Ducks nearly doubled the Senators in shots on goal, with their 13 versus Ottawa’s seven. The Ducks also dominated in shot attempts (27-12).
Second Period
The Senators went into the second period with Andrew Hammond in goal, replacing Condon who allowed three goals on 13 shots. Although he made some good saves early on, there was little he could do as another Ottawa breakdown in the offensive zone lead to another odd-man rush. Anaheim’s Nick Ritchie found himself clear in front of Hammond and scored blocker-side.
Hammond had to continue making good saves afterward, as the Senators were unable to put up any sustained response as the Ducks went into the locker room with a 4-1 lead, out-shooting Ottawa 25-14.
Third Period
The Senators would have to play the rest of the game without Chris Wideman, who got hurt with a puck to the face during the second period. Playing with five defencemen, Ottawa’s struggles in this game continued as the forwards had trouble receiving the puck through any form of transition.
The best Senator on the ice this afternoon was Ryan Dzingel, as in addition to scoring the power-play goal in the first period, had another great chance late in the third. Using his speed, he sped down past Kevin Bieska but rang his shot off the post. It would be Ottawa’s best chance in the period but they were behind by too much with too little time left in the game to gain any momentum from it.
After securing a strong win against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, the Senators lost the following two games, outscored 9-2 against the rest of California. The Sharks will try to get their revenge, as Ottawa returns home for its next game on Wednesday.
Scoring Summary
First Period
ANA – Joseph Cramarossa (2) assisted by Josh Manson (6) & Shea Theodore (5)
OTT – Ryan Dzingel (7) PPG assisted by Bobby Ryan (6) & Derrick Brassard (8)
ANA – Corey Perry (6) PPG assisted by Cam Fowler (11) & Ryan Getzlaf (21)
ANA – Antoine Vermette (6) PPG assisted by Rickard Rakell (5) & Jakob Silverberg (12)
Second Period
ANA – Nick Ritchie (7) assisted by Antoine Vermette (6) & Ondrej Kase (4)
Third Period
ANA – Sami Vatanen (2) PPG assisted by Ryan Kesler (13) & Corey Perry (19)
THW Three Stars
First: Antoine Vermette (1 goal, 1 assist, 55% in the faceoff circle)
Second: Corey Perry (1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots)
Third: Cam Fowler (1 assist, 25:11 TOI)
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Next Game
Ottawa Senators vs. San Jose Sharks
Canadian Tire Centre – 7 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Broadcast Channels: Sportsnet, CSN-CA
Season Series: Ottawa leads 1-0