February 28, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators goalkeeper Linus Ullmark (35) and defenseman Thomas Chabot (72) celebrate their victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images The Ottawa Senators seem to have found their game at the right time.
Ottawa enters Tuesday’s sloping road with the Edmonton Oilers sitting at 6-1-1 in their last eight games, most recently ousting their biggest rival.
The Senators dominated the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, outscoring them 40-23 to improve to 5-2.
“I thought it was a great game,” said Dylan Cozens, who finished the game with two goals and one assist. “We were ready to go right from puck drop. We didn’t give up much and I think we definitely found the back of the big net. I think it was a great 60 minutes.”
Drake Batherson also had two goals of his own, ending a 10-game scoreless streak.
Batherson said he was “disappointed” about his recent cold. “I’ve been through a lot of things like that throughout my career. It still upsets me as much as it did the first time, but it is what it is. You just have to keep working hard, do the right things, and know and believe that it will come. Like I said, they came tonight.”
Thomas Chabot also scored for the Senators and Tim Stutzle extended his point streak to nine games (six goals, six assists) with an assist on Cozen’s second goal of the contest.
The Senators, who made the playoffs last season after seven straight disappointing seasons, will need to look from the outside in to continue building on their recent play as they fight for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Oilers come into Tuesday’s game with a recent trend of their own, but this is a game they hope to conclude.
Following Saturday’s 5-4 loss to the San Jose Sharks, the Oilers have now lost five of their last six games (1-5-0) and have allowed an average of 4.66 goals per game during that span.
Oilers star Leon Draisaitl didn’t hold back his dejection when asked what went wrong during the loss.
“Well, I think the record is broken, but we just gave up too many goals. It’s hard to score five or six goals every night.”
Despite registering as the league’s top scorer in Connor McDavid, the first skater to reach 100 points (35 goals, 68 assists) this season, the Oilers’ defensive struggles have cost them dearly as they sit in the top three of the Pacific Division.
When asked about the team’s leadership, Oilers coach Chris Knoblauch said, “Depth is important. You need your guys to be involved and everyone helping the cause.” “But usually when your best player is your best player, that’s when you win hockey games. Connor got three points tonight and it’s not just about scoring, it’s about playing good defensive hockey. And overall, I think we need to take another step forward.”
The Oilers have been fruitful against the Senators recently, having come out on top in six of the previous seven meetings.
Jake Walman scored the overtime-winning goal to give the Oilers a 3-2 win when these two teams met earlier this season.
–Field level media
