Batherson has hat-trick in Sens loss to Washington
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Josh Norris and Chris Tierney also scored for the Senators (2-4-0) as Anton Forsberg stopped 12 shots before being lifted for Filip Gustavsson, who also turned away 12 shots, in the first period. Washington's (4-0-2) Ilya Samsonov made 32 saves while Alex Ovechkin (2), Nick Jensen and John Carlson also had goals.
"We did a lot of really good things offensively but you can't go tick-for-tack with them," Sens head coach D.J. Smith said. "It was a valiant effort by us in the second period to do what we did and bring it within one in the third but the difference is, we kill the penalty and then we leave Ovechkin open and he puts the game away."
Batherson became the 30th different Senator to score a hat-trick and the first since Tim Stützle on May 8 2021. It was the first three-goal game by a Sens player on home ice since Bobby Ryan on Feb. 27 2020.
"I had my dad in the stands tonight so to do that in front of him, a couple of my buddies and some relatives were here too, it's a special night," Batherson said. "My dad said he lost his hat so I'll have to get him a new one.
"It would have been nice to get the win but it was really special having him here."
The Sens got off to a perfect start as Batherson scored his second goal of the season as from the right boards he fired the puck goalwards and a screened Samsonov didn't see the puck sail over his shoulder at 2:26.
But Washington replied with four unanswered goals in the period to take a stranglehold on the game. Oshie tied things up four minutes later from down low after Trevor Van Riemsdyk's fine pass before his second of the game at 11:10 gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead as he fired a quick wrister past Forsberg.
Jensen's second goal of the season at 13:37 made it a two-goal Washington lead as his wrister from the point beat traffic before Carlson outwaited a sliding Batherson before firing past Forsberg's glove for a 4-1 lead at 15:43.
"We weren't ready to play defence out the gate," Smith said. "We didn't track hard enough. Their big players made us pay."
The teams combined for five second period goals with the Senators originally storming back to tie the game at 4-4. Norris' third goal of the season came on a one-timer from the right circle off of Artem Zub's feed at 5:57 before Tierney's team-leading fourth goal cut the Washington lead to one as he buried Tyler Ennis' pass in-close on the power play at 9:37.
Batherson's second of the night came at 11:16 as he showed incredible patience to outwait Samsonov before lifting the puck over the Caps goaltender to make it 4-4.
"The more time you're around you get more comfortable but it was just instincts honestly," Batherson said. "I wasn't really thinking, I just kind of did what I did there."
However, Washington responded with two goals of their own as Ovechkin beat Gustavsson on a breakaway at 16:27 before Oshie completed his hat-trick with just 7.3 seconds left in the frame.
Batherson secured his first NHL hat-trick 6:32 into the third period as on his attempt to find Brady Tkachuk back door, the puck hit the stick of Dmitry Orlov and went into the net before hats rained down onto the ice while Tkachuk collected the puck.
"My idea was to go to Brady at the back post but I didn't know who scored it until he came to the huddle and told me it was mine," Batherson said. "It was a nice play by Norris and Chabot and it was a lucky one but I'll take it."
Ovechkin's second of the game at 10:46 pushed the visitors' lead to 7-5.
Monday's game was the first time since Jan. 14, 2020, that an NHL game had duelling hat-tricks and is the fifth time it's happened in Sens history. The two teams also had a duelling hat-trick contest on Dec. 29, 2007, when Ovechkin and Mike Fisher each scored three times.
The Senators are back in action Friday as they open a three-game road trip in Dallas. The Sens are back home Nov. 4 when they host the Golden Knights and tickets are available by
clicking here
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