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Ottawa Senators right wing Drake Batherson, left, celebrates a goal with teammate Thomas Chabot against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday. (Keito Newman/IMAGN IMAGES/Reuters)
There’s no doubt Drake Batherson’s two goals against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday were crucial.
The Ottawa winger’s first goal tied the game at one. His second put the Senators ahead 5-4 and gave them the momentum they needed to finish on top and claim another two points toward a coveted playoff spot in the East.
It’s how Batherson scored the goals that had people at Canadian Tire Centre shaking their heads.
In the seventh minute of the first period, with the Sharks up 1-0 and the Sens on a power play, Batherson took a pass from captain Brady Tkachuk and shovelled a backhand through the San Jose crease.
The puck deflected off the stick of Sharks defenceman Mario Ferraro and past goalie Laurent Brossoit, straight into the net.
Because it was an own goal by San Jose, Batherson — the last Senator to touch the puck — was credited with the goal, but it was not registered as a shot on goal.
It was about to get weirder.
At the 13:08 mark of the third period, with the score tied at four, Sens winger Claude Giroux took advantage of a turnover in the San Jose zone and fed a cross-ice pass to defenceman Artem Zub, who rifled a high shot from the blue line toward the Sharks net.
The puck hit Batherson in the chest and bounced past Brossoit for the game-winner.
Batherson scores the game-winning goal as the puck deflects off his body behind San Jose Shark John Klingberg and goaltender Laurent Brossoit on Sunday. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press)
The Sens would go on to win 7-4. Batherson, despite registering a single shot on goal for the third-period deflection, was credited with two goals — neither scored with his own stick.
“Couple beauty goals for sure tonight,” Batherson laughed during a post-game interview with TSN’s Claire Hanna. “Just got to go to the net, and hopefully it hits off me and goes in.”
The 27-year-old was awarded first star of Sunday’s game. He has 27 goals with the Senators this season, one shy of his career-high, along with 32 assists.
Ottawa’s next game is in Washington on Wednesday. They are three points back of a playoff spot with 16 games to play.