OTTAWA — If Jacques Martin had to choose between a medieval torture rack or watching the Senators’ third-period collapse against the Colorado Avalanche, I’m guessing he’d prefer the rack.
Especially painful for Ottawa’s interim head coach, not to mention most of the 16,000-plus in attendance at the Canadian Tire Centre, was the ease with which the Avs soared back from a 4-2 deficit in the second period.
Colorado scored late in the second to close to 4-3 and then pumped four unanswered goals into the Senators’ net in the third, the final one into an empty net to make it 7-4.
Goals three and four were particularly illustrative of the Senators’ season-long defensive affliction.
Goal 3: Somehow, they let Colorado superstar Nathan MacKinnon get behind defenceman Erik Brannstrom at the Ottawa blueline, whereupon Nate the Great fired a pass across to Mikko Rantanen, who got in behind Artem Zub on the far side. Rantanen ripped a shot past Mads Søgaard, making his first start of the season for the Senators. Add his name to the list of torched Sens tendies.
Goal 4: On a simple 3-on-1 play, with others in the neutral zone, Miles Wood, the trailer on the play, waltzed around Vladimir Tarasenko and Travis Hamonic to close in on Søgaard and beat him with a shot to the stick side. 4-4. Tarasenko waved a stick at Wood in a kind of pickup-hockey stick check. Hamonic arrived late and light. Spirits on the bench crushed yet again.
“I looked at the fourth goal,” Martin said, his face wearing the look of the disappointed teacher speaking of his failing students. “I mean, it’s a lack of determination and lack of commitment. And to me, when you’re ahead and protecting the lead, you need to have some urgency in your game.”
The collapse after that was inevitable. Already, the Senators had given up two goals quickly after scoring their first two themselves — the goal announcements on the PA still ringing out as the Avs scored to tie the game 1-1 and then 2-2.
But after that, the Senators showed they can play. Ridly Greig scored his second of the game and could easily have had his first hat trick. Jake Sanderson had a gorgeous net drive that he finished with a shot to the top corner and the home team was flying by the middle of the second period. Mathieu Joseph and Parker Kelly had a wild shift on a penalty kill and should have scored, Kelly missing an open net.
The Avalanche had played, and lost, in Montreal the night before. The Senators had their legs.
Tim Stützle was at Warp 1 speed. Surely this was the night to finish off a good opponent — to post their first two-game winning streak since the last week of December.
Not to be. They couldn’t handle prosperity.
Proven once more, it only takes a small opening for the greatest of players. MacKinnon got behind Brannstrom for that toss to Rantanen late in the second to pull within one. Against the fragile team Ottawa has become, it was an omen for the third period, with four goals to come.
Remarkably, the Avalanche had what appeared to be their third goal called back on an offside review — so, they just went back out and scored another one.
“I definitely think part of it is mental,” Martin said, of his team’s collapse. “You know, you’ve got to build some resistance (and resilience).
“You’ve got to build some mechanism that when you face adversity it brings out the best of you instead of folding.”
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said the recurring blown leads are evidence of a group “confidence” issue.
“Our maturity needs to show up and no matter what the score is, we’re going to play the right way and the same way for a full 60 minutes,” Tkachuk said.
In his first start, Søgaard gave up six goals on 33 shots. He made some difficult saves, but didn’t make enough overall.
“It was a high-tempo game, back and forth with great chances at both ends,” Søgaard said. “Six goals on my end is too many. I’m going to work on it and try to be better for these guys.”
Martin said it’s too early to make an assessment on Søgaard after one start.
With Anton Forsberg out with a groin injury, Søgaard should get another look soon but it’s likely the Senators go back to Joonas Korpisalo for the Thursday home game against Montreal.
Søgaard salutes Justin Peters
When Søgaard was recalled from AHL Belleville four days ago, he probably could have shared a ride with goalie coach Justin Peters. Because a couple of days later, Belleville’s goalie coach was called up, too.
On Monday, Peters was named the goalie coach in Ottawa, replacing Zac Bierk who has been reassigned in the organization in a scout and development role.
In making the announcement, general manager Steve Staios said it was time for a “fresh perspective” in the goaltender coach position.
Both Korpisalo and Forsberg have struggled this season.
Søgaard said that the promotion for Peters was very deserved and “only a matter of time.”
Speaking before the Avalanche game, Søgaard said he has learned a lot from Peters.
“I have a really close relationship with him,” Søgaard said. “When I went to his camps, he let me stay at his house and have everything I needed to prepare and set up and work on my game.
“He’s gone above and beyond for me. And that’s just how he is. You see him work with all the goalies , everybody loves to have him as a coach.”
Søgaard, 23, has had a terrific year with Belleville, after suffering setbacks last season with injuries and strength issues. Søgaard tended to get hurt when he was called to play in consecutive games. But he is stronger in every sense this season, as shown by an 8-5-2 record and 2.48 goals-against and .920 save percentage on a mediocre Belleville team.
Søgaard gives Peters a lot of the credit for teaching him how to best make use of his 6-7 frame. (Søgaard is actually 6-8, but doesn’t like to be thought of as freakishly tall).
“I just needed some help visualizing myself and my size, you could say,” Søgaard said. “And he’s done a tremendous job of helping me with that.”
Søgaard also thanked Bierk for having the confidence in him to give him his first NHL start in the spring of 2022.
“I’ll never forget the morning he came and told me that,” said Søgaard, as thoughtful as he is tall. “So, I’m super appreciative of all he’s done for myself and every goalie in the organization.”
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