Senators Stave Off Elimination

The Ottawa Senators are still alive in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After winning a crucial Game 4 contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Senators staved off elimination and forced the series to return to Toronto for Game 5.

It took overtime for the third consecutive game for the Senators and Maple Leafs to decide things, but Ottawa found a way to extend the series. Star defenseman Jake Sanderson came up clutch during the OT period to record the first postseason goal of his young career.

With the Sens controlling the puck in their offensive zone, Tyler Kleven sent a puck back to the point, which Sanderson jumped on to keep in the zone. He then sent a harmless enough-looking shot on goal. The puck had eyes of its own as it snuck by Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz for the game-winner.

Veteran winger David Perron was huge for the Senators in their victory.. With the game tied at 2-2 in the third period, he collected a feed from defenseman Artem Zub and buried it behind Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz to give them a 3-2 lead. He was a scoring threat the entire game, and his production is a key to the Sens staying alive.

The Senators also received excellent goaltending, as starter Linus Ullmark played his best game of the series. The Maple Leafs vastly outshot the Sens in Game 4, but Ullmark stood tall. He turned aside 32 of the Leafs' 35 shots on goal en route to his first victory of the series.

With the win, the series shifts back to Toronto for Game 5. While the series continues, it is still firmly in the Leafs' control. The Senators are still in a must-win situation, and will remain so unless they can rattle off three more victories. One more loss, and their seasons ends.