Ottawa Senators fall to Boston Bruins, Brad Marchand’s a rat

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It’s not like the Ottawa Senators stunk up the TD Garden on Thursday.

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It wasn’t like the game two days before when the Senators absorbed an embarrassing 5-0 road spanking against the New York Rangers.

But a loss is a loss. And the Senators came up empty in Boston, losing 2-0 to the Boston Bruins.

The defeat knocks the Senators, not so long ago stringing up victory after victory, out of a wild-card playoff position.

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Putting the puck into the net continues to be a problem for the Senators, who have now been shutout back to back.

“I thought the worst part of our game was probably the first 10 minutes, I thought we played a pretty good game after that,” Senators coach Travis Green told TSN 1200’s Gord Wilson. “It was tight all the way. We had our looks.

“We have to find a way to score. The puck’s not going in for us right now. We have to stick with it.”

“We created a lot of chances, the puck just didn’t go in,” Senators defenceman Tyler Kleven said.

Morgan Geekie gave Boston a 1-0 lead 2:06 into the second period, knocking in a beautiful cross-crease pass by the wizard, David Pastrnak.

Ottawa had a two-man advantage for 32 seconds just past the midway point of the third period. But the Senators produced nothing.

Pastrnak scored an empty-net goal with five seconds left.

With defenceman Jake Sanderson a late scratch because of a lower-body injury, Donovan Sebrango was inserted into the lineup. Then, late in the game, Nick Jensen, left the bench and didn’t return.

“I thought (Sanderson) was going to play,” Green said. “He’s day-to-day; hopefully he can play the next game.”

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The Senators return home for a Saturday night game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

NORRIS OUT, PERRON IN

Centre Josh Norris, expected to miss the next three games with an upper-body injury, was replaced in the lineup by winger David Perron, who hadn’t played since Nov. 23 because of a back injury.

Perron hadn’t done much before the injury, with no points in nine games.

Norris has re-established himself as a goal scorer, with 17 this season.

FRIENDS AND FOES

A year ago, Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg were teammates with the Senators.

Thursday, they were on opposite sides of the ice. Korpisalo was dealt to the Bruins in a big trade where the Senators picked up Linus Ulllmark, who the Senators are hoping to get back soon from a back injury.

With Bruins starter Jeremy Swayman sidelined (minor upper body-injury), Korpisalo, who had a 3.27 goals-against average and .890 save-percentage with the Senators a year ago, got the start.  This season, Korpisalo had a 2.88 goals-against average and .891 save-percentage going into Thursday’s game.

It’s been a roller-coaster ride for Forsberg, who had a 3.20 goals-against average and .890 save-percentage a year ago. He had a 3.04 goals-against average and .884 save-percentage going into Thursday.

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You can’t pin the loss on Forsberg. Shot were 30-26 for Ottawa; both goalies played well.

“Forsy played unreal for us,” Kleven said. “We just have to put a couple away for him.”

NHL’S RAT STRIKES AGAIN

For years, Bruins winger Brad Marchand has been in the middle of an assortment of shenanigans.

He chirps, he taunts, he dives, he slew-foots, he jabs, he sucker punches, he’s the modern-day Ken Linesman, The Rat. He’s a heel, a hockey villain that teammates love and everybody else hates.

Oh, he licks and kisses on occasion, too.

Thursday, for whatever reason, he dropped a glove and put his hand around the neck of Nick Cousins; a choke.

Also for whatever reason, like so much of Marchand’s hijinks, he wasn’t sent to the penalty box.

There’s also this: Marchand, with all his weirdisms, is a helluva hockey player.

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