Ottawa Senators Eke Out Big Win, Send Series Back to Pittsburgh for Game 7

The Ottawa Senators posted their biggest win of the NHL playoffs on Tuesday night with a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh.

It was literally a life or death experience for the Senators who would have been ousted from the playoffs with a loss. Now they live to fight another day.

It was hard to see Ottawa not playing their asses off in this game. They were blown out of the building on Sunday by the Penguins who steamrolled them 7-0 and bouncing back from that debacle had to be a matter of pride as well as survival.

It was a completely different story on Tuesday at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.

Senators goaltender Craig Anderson redeemed himself after Sunday’s debacle in which he was pulled after giving up four first period goals.

Anderson played lights out, stopping 45 shots and giving his team a chance to win. They also beat the crap out of Penguins superstar Sydney Crosby every time that he had the puck.

Pittsburgh appeared to have scored the all-important first goal but Senators coach Guy Boucher challenged the play which was reversed due to goaltender interference. A questionable call but it gave Ottawa early life.

The Penguins did go on to score first in the second period – a goal by Evgeni Malkin – but it was answered by the Senators who knotted the score at one going into the third.

Shortly into the third, Senators forward Mike Hoffman blasted a shot that got past Pittsburgh goalie Matt Murray for the lead.

The Senators then shut the Penguins out to win the game and move on to the winner-take-all game 7.

This will be the second series for the Penguins that has gone the distance but the deciding game will be on home ice.

The puck drops Thursday at 8 PM ET.