Tarasenko provides heroics, urges Senators to stay the course: 'Trust the plan'

A single win doesn’t cure all sin, but it sure lifts the mood in a dressing room. 

The Ottawa Senators managed their first victory of the New Year and ended a five-game losing string with a 5-4 decision over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. 

Cynics will say – it was only the Sharks, losers of 12 straight before a win in Montreal on Thursday. 

But try telling that to the Senators players who were high-fiving on the bench when Vladimir Tarasenko’s shot found a home with four seconds left in regulation.

Even the usually reserved head coach Jacques Martin could be seen punching the air in joy, before fist-bumping assistant Daniel Alfredsson, when Tarasenko scored. 

Nor did the level of opposition bother the crowd of 18,764 at the Canadian Tire Centre Saturday evening, Ottawa’s fourth consecutive sellout. 

“It’s huge,” said Senators winger Drake Batherson, who scored his 15th goal of the season in the second period, lifting Ottawa back into a 4-3 lead. 

The Senators had surged out to a 2-0 lead before allowing three straight goals to the Sharks, including one by former Sens winger Anthony Duclair. After Batherson’s goal, the visitors tied it up yet again, on a goal by Filip Zadina at 16:56 of the third.

Instead of collapsing, as they have so often this season when an opponent scores, the Senators dominated the late stages of the game leading up to Tarasenko’s goal. With the Sharks reeling under the pressure, Tarasenko pounced on the rebound of an Artem Zub point shot. The goal was reviewed for goaltender interference but stood.

That stay-home D-man Zub finished with a game-high seven shots on goal and three assists. 

“To finally get a win feels good,” Batherson said. “A little nerve wracking there, when they had to go upstairs on the last goal, but we’ll take any win we can get at this point.”

Exactly. For the first time in a while, the Senators handled some in-game adversity and kept their composure, not to mention their push on the San Jose defence. 

“They tie it up and it’s almost like, ‘here we go again,’” Batherson said. “But we had a couple of good shifts after that goal and we were able to get one at the end there. It’s definitely a roller coaster of emotions when you see one go in that late, but credit to the guys for sticking with it.”

No one was more relieved than Tarasenko.

“I think it’s maybe my first goal that didn’t get called back when they have a challenge,” Tarasenko said, smiling. “It’s a New Year, so maybe something has changed. Good thing it counted.” 

Though he is a likely candidate to get moved at the trade deadline, the veteran winger has come in here and been a tremendous soldier for the organization, and a good influence on younger players.

Following the San Jose game, Tarasenko offered some wisdom for his teammates. 

“It’s a consistency thing,” Tarasenko said. “You don’t try to win by making highlight reel plays every time. Just stay on the plan. Trust the plan and just grind it over. Again and again. I feel like this was the mentality today.” 

If that line of talk seems surprising coming from a goal scorer, keep in mind that Tarasenko won a Stanley Cup in 2019 with a St. Louis Blues team that was strong on both sides of the puck. 

“We have to learn to get excited about the simple plays, to gain the confidence,” Tarasenko said. “And then the highlight reels will come. Sometimes you have to know when to shut it down and just work. For example today, simple plays ended up with a couple of goals in the back of the net.” 

On an individual basis, the game was an important one for centre Tim Stützle, who has had some ups and downs since the coaching change in late December. 

Stützle had four assists on Saturday to run his assist total to 31 on the season. He has 38 points in 38 games and leads the Sens in points and helpers. Despite his production, Stützle is disappointed at his goal scoring dip – he has seven, coming off a 39-goal campaign last season – and some defensive struggles. He hasn’t scored since Dec. 23 against Pittsburgh. 

“Obviously I’ve been struggling a lot,” said Stützle, always his own toughest critic. 

“And it’s tough when you’ve been struggling to keep your confidence up. But I believe in myself, I think I’m a really good player and I think tonight I wanted the puck more,” Stützle said. “I worked hard in practice (Friday) and I just tried to get that swagger back and I think I had that.”

Was it the new haircut?  

Stützle said that while he is not really superstitious, “I feel better when I have fresh hair,” he said. “G (Claude Giroux) scored a goal tonight. And he got a haircut too. So it’s the way to go.”

Interestingly, Tarasenko opined that he doesn’t feel Stützle has been in a slump at all. 

“Everybody expects him to go out and do something great every shift,” Tarasenko said. “There’s a lot of good things he and the other guys are doing which are not pretty looking but they’re doing it. And I don't think they get credit for it. As a young player, there are big expectations and you have to learn how to live with the ups and downs. That’s why we have a very good team here, we try to help everybody. Doesn’t matter if you’re young or a veteran, or how many years you’ve played in the league. You cannot just let the guy down. A lot of good players, the puck doesn't always go in. 

“It’s about belief, belief in yourself and guys next to you and you’ll have success.”

We can assume that some of what Tarasenko is saying here has a lot to do with a 32-year-old looking out for a 22-year-old teammate. By most accounts, there have been times when Stützle has struggled and tried to do too much. 

Martin was a lot more guarded than Tarasenko with his assessment of Stützle, but hopeful that the budding superstar can learn to play a two-way game. 

“It’s starting to come,” Martin said. “The way he’s playing is more effective, he’s working on his 200-foot game, and situations where he has to make a play or where he has to dish it. So I'm pleased with his progress.”