Senators vs. Predators: Drake Batherson Forces OT Late and Shane Pinto Wins It in the Shootout

Matt Murray had waited a long time for a night like this, and for 58 minutes and 37 seconds he was writing the storybook version. Then Drake Batherson tipped a Shane Pinto shot past him with 1:23 left in the third period, and the script flipped.

Pinto scored the decisive goal in the shootout, and the Ottawa Senators rallied from two goals down to beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 on Saturday night at Canadian Tire Centre.

Nashville's Fast Start

The Predators came out like a team trying to finish a road trip on a high note. At 8:50 of the first, a scramble broke out in front of Linus Ullmark, and Vitali Pinchuk dug out the loose puck and slid it to Ross Colton, who went top shelf for a 1-0 lead. Alexander Kerfoot had the second assist. For Pinchuk, playing his NHL debut, it was his first career point.

Then Nashville's power play went to work. Michael Amadio was called for slashing at 12:57, and 13 seconds later Jonathan Marchessault beat Ullmark from close range for his first goal of the season. Steven Stamkos and Roman Josi assisted, and both extended season-opening point streaks to five games, per NHL.com.

Two goals, two different ways, and Ottawa was chasing.

Ottawa Chips Away, Then Stalls

The Senators got one back on their own power play. Brady Skjei went off for slashing at 9:23 of the second, and six seconds later Dylan Cozens found Tim Stützle down low. Stützle one-timed it into an open net at 9:29 for his fourth goal in five games. Thomas Chabot had the second assist. According to NHL.com, it was the 153rd goal of Stützle's career, moving him past Radek Bonk for eighth on the Senators' all-time list.

After that, the offense went into airplane mode. Per NHL.com, Ottawa did not register a shot on goal from 13:45 of the second period until 16:06 of the third, a drought of more than 22 minutes. Nashville blocked 26 shots on the night and threw 34 hits, and coach Travis Green gave the Predators their due. "Those nights can be frustrating when you have the puck a lot, but you're not generating a lot," he said. "Like I said, give them credit. They kept us on the outside a lot."

The Turning Point: Batherson's Tip

With Murray standing tall and the clock bleeding out, the Senators finally broke through at 18:37 of the third. Pinto let a shot go, and Batherson got a stick on it to tie the game 2-2, with Stützle drawing the second assist. Batherson almost sounded apologetic. "I felt bad because I thought it was going in for (Pinto)," he said. "But no, I think we were all pumped just to tie the game up."

Ottawa had a golden chance to win it outright when Nashville was whistled for delay of game with 13 seconds left in regulation, but the Senators could not convert on the man advantage. "Obviously, in OT, we had a bunch of chances to win the game, especially when you get a power play," Stützle said.

Murray was the reason it got to a shootout at all. "In overtime, like he was unbelievable. He gave us a chance to win," Marchessault said.

In the shootout, Murray stopped Batherson in the first round, and Ryan O'Reilly put Nashville ahead. Stützle answered in the second round, and Ullmark stopped Filip Forsberg. Pinto then scored in the third round, and Ullmark sealed it by stopping Stamkos.

Who Delivered

Tim Stützle: A goal, an assist and a shootout goal in a heavy 26:06 of ice time. "I think it's a great team effort," he said. "I think everybody stuck with it."

Drake Batherson: The tying goal, his third of the season, in the final two minutes of regulation.

Shane Pinto: The primary assist on the equalizer and the shootout winner, in 21:41.

Linus Ullmark: 16 saves on 18 shots, plus two shootout stops. Per NHL.com, he became the fourth goaltender in Senators history to win his first four or more games of a season, joining Ray Emery (six in 2005-06), Dominik Hasek (five in 2005-06) and Martin Gerber (four in 2007-08).

Thomas Chabot: An assist in 28:43 of ice time.

Matt Murray: 18 saves on 20 shots in 64:57. Per NHL.com, it was his first NHL game since Jan. 8, 2024, his Nashville debut and the fifth NHL game of his career, after he spent the past two seasons with Milwaukee of the American Hockey League. Coach Andrew Brunette was moved by it. "This is why you love sports," he said. "There are moments like that where guy's waited his turn, and we haven't got him in. He steps in, he plays great."

Stats That Matter

• 2 for 3 vs. 1 for 3: The shootout, where Ottawa's shooters and Ullmark won the last word.
• 1 for 6: Each team's power play. Ottawa's one conversion came six seconds into its advantage.
• 20-18: Ottawa's edge in shots, in a game with just 38 total shots on goal.
• 26: Shots blocked by Nashville, compared with 15 for Ottawa.
• 54.7 percent: Ottawa's faceoff win rate.

What It Means

Ottawa improves to 4-1-0 with eight points, has won two straight and is 2-0-0 at home. Batherson liked what he was seeing. "I think this has been our best start since I can remember," he said. The Senators visit New Jersey on Monday night.

Nashville falls to 2-1-2 with six points, but it closed a three-game swing through Eastern Canada with at least a point in all three games: an overtime loss in Toronto, a win in Montreal and this shootout loss. Marchessault still sounded frustrated with how this one slipped away. "We kind of lay off the gas a little bit and let teams back in the game," he said. "One point is good, but I mean, at the end of the year, they're pretty hard to get those points." The Predators host Vegas on Tuesday night.

Closing Take

Murray's night had the bones of a feel-good sports movie: the long wait, the call-up, the big performance on the road. Hollywood would have let him win. Real life gave him a shootout loss instead, which is about as cruel as this sport gets. Ottawa, meanwhile, is quietly stacking wins, and the Senators did it this time without their best stuff for long stretches. Good teams find a way on nights like that. Brunette said it best: "This is why you love sports."

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Game details from the Associated Press; postgame quotes and notes as reported by NHL.com.