Chabot scores 2, including winner, Senators beat Wild 4-3
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Thomas Chabot couldn’t have scripted a better game in his return from injury.
Chabot's second goal of the game late in the third period was the winner and he assisted on another score to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.
Chabot was back after missing four games and hit a career milestone playing in his 300th game. He’s the ninth defenseman to play 300 games with the Senators.
“Like I said this morning I think it’s great to be back and obviously 300 games is something special and I take a lot of pride in that,” Chabot said. “Obviously it’s nice to get out here and put a great effort like we did as a team and still stick to it and find a way to win the game.”
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Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle also scored, while Anton Forsberg stopped 40 shots.
Chabot's absence had been noticeable as he is the stabilizing force on Ottawa’s blue line. There was no denying his immediate impact.
“He’s great, he changes the complexion of our team obviously,” Tkachuk said. “We know how much he plays and how much he’s out there, but yeah, he’s a difference maker. ... He took over tonight’s game and won it for us.”
Kevin Fiala, Jared Spurgeon and Jon Merrill scored for the Wild (31-14-3), who were playing the second of four games on a Canadian road trip. Cam Talbot made 30 saves. The game wrapped up a stretch of 10 games in 16 nights for the Senators (19-26-5).
Minnesota tied the game 3-3 in the opening minutes of the third as Merrill made the most of a giveaway, firing a wrist shot past Forsberg. But with just over five minutes remaining in regulation Chabot scored his second of the night.
The Wild outshot the Senators 17-8 in the second, but trailed 3-2 after giving up a late goal.
Trailing 2-0 to start the second, Fiala, coming off the bench, fired a shot from the hashmarks to open the scoring for the Wild. Fiala now has 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) over his last 19 games.
“It’s more frustrating how we started,” admitted Wild head coach Dean Evason. “I mean, full credit to Ottawa. They played hard and right and heavy and smart and aggressive, real aggressive. They took the game away from us early, and we couldn’t catch up until the second period … We started wrong; they started right.”
Spurgeon tied the game midway through the period with a shot from the slot, but with just under four minutes remaining Stutzle scored his 12th of the season to make it 3-2 for Ottawa. Stutzle has goals in three consecutive games.
The Senators couldn’t have asked for a better start as Chabot opened the scoring just two minutes in, beating Talbot with a shot short side.
Tkachuk made it 2-0 late in the period with a power-play goal, taking a Chabot pass off the back boards on the goal line and firing a shot past Talbot. It was the Senators' first power-play goal in four games.
“You’ve got to play a full 60 minutes to win in this league,” Merrill said. “It’s almost like the hockey gods or someone was on the other side tonight and a couple of bounces went their way and that’s just the way it goes when you’re not playing a full, complete game.”
Notes: Matt Murray was unavailable for the game as he and his wife welcomed a baby boy. ... Mats Zuccarello was a late scratch for the Wild.
Up next
Minnesota: At Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday in third game of a four-game trip.
Ottawa: Host Montreal Canadiens on Saturday in the finale of a four-game homestand.