The Ottawa Senators came close as a strong team effort saw them hold the Washington Capitals scoreless through three periods but were unable to secure the win as they fell to the Capitals by a score of 1-0 in overtime. Goaltender Leevi Meriläinen finished the night with a 0.95 goals against average and a .963% save percentage after stopping 26 of the 27 shots he faced to help keep the game close.

The Senators fall to the Capitals in OT after a goalless game through 60 minutes of regulation.

The night kicked off with an NHL debut, as defenceman Donovan Sebrango entered the lineup in place of Thomas Chabot and played in his first career NHL game. Recording 11:38 minutes of ice time in his debut, Sebrango had a strong outing as the 23-year-old defenceman made several key plays throughout the night.

Tonight marked the Senators’ Hockey Talks night presented by Bell Let’s Talk, which saw the team raise funds through a variety of donation methods alongside the Senators Community Foundation. Thanks to the support from fans, over $40,000 were raised in support of youth mental health.

The first period came to a close with both teams scoreless at 0-0, while the Senators held the slight edge in shots at 8-6.

Like the first, the second period ended tied 0-0 while the Senators continued to hold the edge in shots at 17-11. Despite three power play opportunities in the second frame, the Senators were unable to find the back of the net as goaltender Logan Thompson stood tall.

The third time was not the charm, as the final 20 minutes didn’t solve things either. Still deadlocked at 0-0, the Senators held a slight edge in shots once more as they headed into overtime up 25-24 in shots.

With the game on their stick, the Capitals had a breakaway opportunity in overtime, but Leevi Meriläinen continued his strong play as he turned the shot away to keep the Senators alive.

Unfortunately, the Senators were unable to solve things as Alex Ovechkin scored his 21st goal of the season for the Capitals with 1:53 remaining in the overtime period to end it 1-0.

The Senators will return to play on Saturday when they take on the Boston Bruins for the second time this season at 3:00 p.m. ET. Tickets to Saturday’s game are available for purchase HERE.

Postgame availabilities:

Donovan Sebrango speaks with the media following the Senators game against the Capitals

Nick Jensen speaks with the media following the Senators game against the Capitals

Leevi Meriläinen speaks with the media following the Senators game against the Capitals

Travis Green speaks with the media following the Senators game against the Capitals

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