Senators find win with just 11 shots on net: 'It's obvious we weren't on the top of our game'
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The Ottawa Senators managed to pick up a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday despite being outshot 39-11.
With three goals on 10 shots in the first two frames, the Senators saw their lead disappear in the final frame. Adam Gaudette scored on the team's one and only shot in the third period with just over four minutes left to lift Ottawa to a victory.
The 11 shots were tied for the fewest in franchise history in a win, matching a 2-0 win over the New Jersey Devils in April 2013.
"It's obvious we weren't on the top of our game," Senators head coach Travis Green said, per NHL.com. "We could tell that we didn't have our skating legs tonight, and almost top to bottom. Linus [Ullmark] gave us a [heck] of a game, and [we] found a way to win."
Gaudette's goal tied him with Brady Tkachuk for the team lead this season with 11. He's one away from matching his career-best total of 12 goals, set with the Vancouver Canucks in 59 games during the 2019-20.
"I'm just playing hockey, just doing my thing out there," Gaudette said post-game. "[I'm] playing with some great players out there, and I couldn't do it without the guys on the ice, so I owe a lot to them."
Despite the discrepancy in the shots, Wednesday's victory marked a second straight for the Senators following a five-game winless skid. The team sits at 10-11-1 on the season, three points back of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the final wild-card spot with one more game played.
The Sharks have just two wins in their past nine games, owning a 7-13-5 record this season.
Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood finished with just seven saves Wednesday for a save percentage of .636. The 27-year-old has a 4-8-3 record this season with a .902 save percentage and a 3.02 GAA.
"Results were [poor]," head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "We played some good hockey. [We've] got to be smarter in some scenarios, which we're learning. [It was] a frustrating night."