Senators beat Bruins in shootout to clinch playoff berth
The Ottawa Senators needed a single point on Thursday to punch their ticket to the postseason. They got that and then some against the Boston Bruins.
Ottawa prevailed 2-1 in a shootout in Boston to not only clinch a playoff berth, but also jump over the Bruins in the Atlantic Division. The Senators now have 96 points to Boston’s 95 with a game in hand, giving them the inside track for home ice advantage in the first round.
[Follow Puck Daddy on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tumblr]
It was a gutsy effort from the Senators, who won their second straight after their playoff hopes were put in jeopardy following five straight losses. They also pulled it off without star defensman Erik Karlsson in the lineup due to a lingering foot injury that he re-aggravated Tuesday against the Red Wings. Top-pairing blueliner Marc Methot also missed a seventh straight game as he continues to recover from having his finger nearly chopped off by Sidney Crosby.
[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest now]
Craig Anderson was once again Ottawa’s MVP on Thursday, turning aside 28 of 29 shots after shutting out the Red Wings Tuesday. Alex Burrows got the lone goal in regulation, his fifth since joining the Senators.
This will mark the fourth time in the last six season the Senators have qualified for the postseason, with their last appearance coming in 2014-15 — a six-game loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round.
