CALGARY – Just when it looked like the Ottawa Senators playoff hopes were going down in Flames, Mika Zibanejad regained his scoring touch.
And how.
Zibanejad, who had been mired in a nine-game goal slump, exploded for a natural hat trick against Flames goaltender Joni Ortio in a span of 2:38, turning a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau iced the game by scoring into an empty net.
Zibanejad’s heroics came after Senators goaltender Craig Anderson robbed Josh Jooris on a 3-on-1 break.
Anderson had a rough night himself, but without that save, the Senators may well have been buried and their longshot playoff hopes would have been effectively over.