Ottawa Senators want to wind down season with wins

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It wasn’t pretty against the Edmonton Oilers, but it looked that way in the end to the Ottawa Senators.

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As they prepare to face the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday on the road, the Senators secured their second straight win with a 5-3 victory over the Oilers on Sunday at home, thanks to timely goal-scoring and big saves from Ottawa goalie Joonas Korpisalo.

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The reality is these two wins won’t mean much when the points are counted up at the end of the season with only 12 games left on the schedule, but it’s better than the alternative because the Senators found a way to win.

The Senators were outplayed by Edmonton in every facet of the game, except on the scoreboard.

Winger Drake Batherson, who scored No. 25 of the season and had a three-point night, jokingly told his teammates in the third period that they might want to see what the Edmonton end of the ice was like.

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“They were kind of all over us,” said Batherson. “I said to the boys, ‘The ice looks pretty good down in their end if we can get down there.’ But credit to the guys for keeping it out.

“They hemmed us in a bit, and they’re going to do that with those players over there that they’ve got.”

The Senators were pleased to have the performance against the Oilers go their way.

There have been a lot of nights where that hasn’t been the case and they were able to stick with it to get the job done.

“Not a lot of (offensive) zone time in the third,” defenceman Jakob Chychrun said. “The boys did a heck of a job of sticking with it and finding a way. We talk about it all the time.

“We feel like we’ve had games this year where we play really well and have a lot of chances and out-chance the other team and don’t get the result we want, and it was kind of the opposite tonight. They out-chanced us, and we had a goalie that was standing on his head for us.”

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A MILESTONE NIGHT

It was nice to see Edmonton’s Zach Hyman score No. 50 of the season in Ottawa and become the eighth player in Oilers history to complete the feat.

The 31-year-old appreciates it because he’s the third-oldest player in the history of the league to complete the feat and has had to work hard to make this happen. Hyman gave Edmonton a 3-1 lead midway through the second period.

“A special moment for me and my family,” Hyman said. “I’ve said it before, but when you become an NHL player, so many people have sacrificed and have driven you to rinks, my parents and uncles, everybody chips in to help you when you’re a professional athlete at this level. There are so many people who have sacrificed. My wife watching the kids by herself half the time. I think it means just as much or more to them to see you have success.”

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Connor McDavid couldn’t say enough good things about Hyman.

“From a guy that was just supposed to be a checker in the league, not sure if he’d ever make it to this league,” McDavid said. “He’s worked for everything that he’s gotten, and now he’s a 50-goal scorer. It’s pretty impressive. It’s been cool to see and cool to kind of witness his transition to a goal-scorer.”

THE FINAL BUZZER

Congratulations to Senators’ physician Dr. Donald Chow for his entry into the club’s Ring of Honour before the game against the Oilers.

Dr. Chow has been with the club since the Senators returned to the NHL in the 1992-93 campaign. Since then, he has spent countless days in and around the rink while being a steady helping hand for the club.

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It was well deserved for Chow to be the third entry into the ring with the late general manager Bryan Murray and former Senators’ defenceman Wade Redden.

Senators interim head coach Jacques Martin spent a lot of time with Chow during his first stint with the Senators form 1996 to 2004, and has a lot of respect for the work he has done.

“It’s a great recognition. I hold Dr. Chow in very high esteem,” Martin said. “Not only is he one of the best in his field, but he’s also just such a great human. He’s a great person who is ready to help anytime that he can.

“It’s well deserved and it’s nice the organization has recognized what he’s done for this team and what he’s meant for the city with all the work that he’s done in the past.”

Chow was caught off guard by the decision to honour him and he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face while accepting congratulations at the rink.

“To be inducted into the Ring of Honour is an immense privilege,” Chow said. “As a young boy from Thunder Bay, I dreamed of playing as a goalie in the big leagues. Unfortunately my save-percentage was, and is, still a few points short. Fortunately, I found my way into hockey through sports medicine.

“It’s been a remarkable journey. I am humbled by this induction and profoundly grateful for this recognition.”

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

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