After leading 2-0 with less than six minutes to play, the Sens were unable to hold on, with Matt Murray getting injured on the Rangers' first goal of the game and an embellishment call on Tim Stützle nullifying a late Sens power play.
Paul scores as centre
With Shane Pinto out injured, and the Sens depth down the middle being severely tested, Sens head coach D.J. Smith moved Paul to centre Saturday, where he played alongside Connor Brown and Tim Stützle.
"He was great and was probably our best player on the ice," Smith said.
Paul scored on his first shift, 41 seconds in, as after taking a Stützle pass in the slot, he wired home his second goal of the season.
All-in-all, Paul played 18:21, won 10 of 15 faceoffs and tallied one block and one hit.
"It was good," Paul said of playing with Brown and Stützle. "They make great plays, they're fast. They move to open space … I thought the chemistry was nice and we had a lot of good chances."
Murray injured
For 54 minutes, the Sens were by far the better team Saturday. But it all changed with 5:23 to play when on the power play, Chris Kreider scored his first goal of the afternoon but in the process, seemingly kneed Murray in the head during the play.
Murray would leave the game immediately, throwing Anton Forsberg into the fray at the least opportune time. The Rangers scored twice more in regulation to steal two points, with the game-winner coming with 2:03 left in regulation.
Before being injured, Murray was simply sensational for the Sens. He made 22 saves in 54:17 of action, most notably a highlight reel denial of Kreider who had a wide-open net but was denied by the glove of Murray.
"He made some incredible stops, especially that one that came back door," Nicholas Paul said. "He was playing lights out."
Stützle draws penalties
Tim Stützle's afternoon is likely going to be remembered by the embellishment call that was made against him with the Sens leading 2-1 late in the third.
But throughout the game Saturday, Stützle drew four separate penalties. In the first period, he was hooked by Kreider and drew a kneeing call against Morgan Barron. In the second, he was held by K'Andre Miller while in the third, he was tripped by Jacob Trouba.
"I just tried to skate," Stützle said. "If anybody sees the penalties I think the first one is a clear hooking penalty, I got the puck and didn't even fall down. The second one, he stuck his leg out and I just tried to jump over his leg to secure my knee. The third one, he had a really good stick and tried to go for the puck, cut in, he holds me and I fall down.
"The fourth one, it'd be a Grade A chance … he obviously had to take the penalty otherwise it's a clear 2-on-1."
The fourth and final penalty he drew was offset by the embellishment call and during the ensuing 4-on-4, the Rangers tied the game with 4:08 to play.
"I wasn't happy about the call obviously, but you can't change it," Stützle said.
