Senators Edge Avalanche 4-3 in a Tight One

Ottawa walked away with a 4-3 win over Colorado, and nobody should pretend it was a cakewalk. The Senators took the two points at home, and the Avalanche are left wondering how a game that was there for the taking slipped through their fingers.

Winners call this a good result, losers call it a tough one, and the scoreboard doesn't care about either narrative. Four goals beat three. Ottawa found the one extra mark that mattered, and Colorado came up a single goal short. For anyone who had money or emotion riding on this one, that single goal is the whole story.

Let's be honest about what a one-goal game tells us: it's a coin flip with better lighting. Both teams had stretches where they looked like they could pull away, and neither could make the lead stick long enough to feel safe. That's the thin line between a team that's built for the playoffs and one that's still hunting for the extra gear.

For Colorado, the frustration is obvious. Losing on the road in a tight game stings because it's exactly the kind of game good teams are supposed to steal. For Ottawa, it's a quiet confidence boost. They won a close one on home ice, and close ones are where seasons quietly get decided.