WINNIPEG – As teams wind down disappointing seasons it would be easy for them to go through the motions as they enter the final couple of weeks. Such was the case Wednesday as the Ottawa Senators came away with a 2-1 win in a somewhat sloppy contest over the Jets.
Andrew Hammond got the win over the Jets – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
“Everything considered, I think it was probably the type of game you thought it was going to be with teams [nearing elimination or eliminated],” Senators coach Dave Cameron said. “I think it was in spurts and a little bit sloppy at times. It’s really a tough game to evaluate.”
Andrew Hammond got the start in the net for the visiting Senators and he made 20 saves off 21 Jets shots including a couple of high-light reel stops off the stick of Jets forward Drew Stafford.
“I think as the season wears on, the way we play has been maybe a little mentally draining because we have given up the first goal so much,” Hammond said. “When we do get that first one, I do think it gives us a little boost, but it’s important to not let that faze us. [Wednesday] it was one of those things where we got that first goal, we had chances, and we kept coming and never really took our foot off the gas.”
Zack Smith notched his 22nd and Alex Chiasson his eighth was all the scoring that Ottawa needed on this night.
“We played the game the right way,” Chiasson said. “We made better decisions. We’ve been talking about this for a long time now, how little things matter and how they carry throughout the game.”
The Jets were sloppy in the first period as the Senators were stretching out the ice and using their speed to catch the Jets standing before the Jets woke up and it started with a massive hit on Mark Stone by Dustin Byfuglien as he caught Stone with his head down just outside the Jets blue line. Stone would leave the ice and eventually return before shutting things down after the second period with a chest injury. After this body check the Winnipeg Jets started using their physical play and took it to the visitors.
“We’re lacking a bit of the 60-minute drive, the execution with the puck, just some of the sharpness,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. “I think we’re dealing with some fatigue, mental and physical. It’s not an excuse. It’s a fact of what we’re dealing with.”
Mark Sheifele scored his 26th after some nice work from Blake Wheeler and Drew Stafford but it was all for not as a turnover behind there net cost Winnipeg as Chiasson converted for the Sens who held on for the win.
Michael Hutchinson made 17 saves in the Jets net suffering the loss.
There were some words and slashes exchanged at the end of the game as Ottawa went after Byfuglien for his earlier hit on Stone.
The Jets will continue their final home stand as they welcome the Blackhawks to town on Friday night.
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