The Ottawa Senators opened Saturday with nine players in Covid-19 Protocol. Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev was removed in the morning, reducing the number temporarily to eight. However, shortly before game time, Zaitsev was re-added to Protocol.
The club almost had one other enter Protocol as forward Drake Batherson sat out the morning skate after receiving a positive test. Fortunately for the Senators and Batherson, he subsequently tested negative later in the afternoon – allowing him to play. And play he did.
The 23-year old posted his second four-point game of the season, notching two goals, two assists in the Senators’ 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The victory ended a six-game winless slide (0-5-1).
“I got in here early this morning and was excited for game day. I had 30 people in town tonight. They’re up in the box there, super-pumped to play in front of them and I get nailed with a positive test,” said Batherson. “We ran another one right after and it was negative. I had couple of more before the game like I usually do, but they came up negative.”
Among the 30 people to view Batherson and his teammates were his mother, Deeann who managed to get rare time off from her job as a teacher, his grandparents, and friends from Cape Breton who’d never seen him play a game in-person since he landed in the NHL.
Enzo with the dish, Drake with the finish 🥳#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/db6BeCVnLC
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 14, 2021
It was also a night of firsts for several Senators’ players.
Veteran d-man Michael Del Zotto scored his first goal for the team since signing as a free agent from the Columbus Blue Jackets during the offseason. Del Zotto also added a helper.
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Called up late Friday evening, D Jacob Bernard-Docker picked up his first NHL career point, an assist on the game’s opening goal by Senators’ Zach Sanford.
Lassi Thomson who made an unexpected and auspicious NHL debut Thursday, also recorded his first career assist on Parker Kelly‘s marker.
Logan Shaw who added the secondary assist on Kelly’s goal, was his first as a Senator.
Kelly, Shaw, and Thomson were all teammates on Belleville last season.
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One more first; Tim Stützle finally got “off the schneid”, potting his first goal of the season. Stützle’s wrister past Penguins’ Casey DeSmith short-side was also his first with fans cheering him on at the CTC.
The sophomore left wing admitted postgame, it may have been his worst game of the 2021-22 campaign. Stützle played only 3:10, three shifts in the first period after being benched for blowing the defensive zone on what was a failed clearing attempt.
“It felt really good, especially after getting the four-goal lead. For me, for sure it was one of my worst games this year, but in the end I’m happy about the win. I’m happy about the goal for sure,” added the 19-year old.
Though the Penguins put the Senators on edge in the third period, scoring three goals in 4:08, including a pair from their leading point-getter Evan Rodrigues, Ottawa managed to keep them at bay.
The game actually could’ve gone south for the Senators late in the first period when it was still scoreless. The club was successful, killing off a Penguins five-on-three for 1:38. The penalty kill appeared to pump up the team, which led to their four-goal second-period uprising.
Despite the win, the Senators were dealt more bad news not Covid-related.
Returning to the lineup after missing nine games with a shoulder injury, centre Shane Pinto may have re-aggravated it. After winning an offensive zone draw, Pinto appeared to re-injure his shoulder.
Senators head coach D.J. Smith said “It didn’t look good” via Zoom in his postgame availability.
It’s unknown how long Pinto will remain out of the lineup, but it’s another blow to the team that was icing their strongest forward group since placing players into Covid-19 Protocol.
The Senators face the Calgary Flames in a back-to-back tllt 5pm Sunday – a short turnaround for a team that literally isn’t aware of what lineup they’ll ice until shortly prior to game-time once again.
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