KANATA, Ontario — When Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews missed a gaping net early in the second period Tuesday against the Senators, he had flashbacks to Saturday night in Chicago.
Toews hit the post from point-blank range against the Ducks but quickly got the brutal miss off his mind with a goal on the same shift.
So when Toews found himself with a prime shooting opportunity in overtime against the Senators, he knew he again had a chance for redemption.
‘‘I was pretty frustrated I missed that one early in the game,’’ Toews said. ‘‘Especially given the fact that, down 2-0, you don’t want to miss those.
‘‘[In overtime, I] came around the far side, and eventually everyone was backed right in. So I just walked in and took a shot from the low slot. I felt like that was a pretty high-percentage chance. Was nice to see it go in.’’
Toews’ snipe 42 seconds into overtime capped another Hawks comeback from a 2-0 deficit, something they also did Jan. 5 against the Red Wings and Dec. 29 against the Blue Jackets.
Off the scoreboard, the Hawks controlled the opener of their three-game road trip to a degree scarcely seen earlier in the season.
Toews’ line with Dominik Kubalik — no matter whether Drake Caggiula or Patrick Kane was the other winger — completely dominated the rebuilding Senators.
Toews and Kubalik were on the ice for 11 scoring chances for and none against. Toews finished with three points, and Kubalik scored both regulation goals to continue a scorching streak (seven goals in five games) that gave him sole possession of the NHL rookie scoring lead.
‘‘Whatever the case may be, we go out there and make plays,’’ Toews said. ‘‘[Kubalik is] finding ways to get free and had another great chance late in the game. [He] could’ve finished one off and finished the game right there.’’
‘‘[Kubalik is] a hell of a hockey player,’’ Hawks goalie Robin Lehner said. ‘‘I would say he has the best shot on our team. . . . In practice, it’s incredibly hard to stop [Kubalik’s] shot.’’
The Hawks finished with a 29-15 advantage in scoring chances and a 61-40 edge in overall shots.
‘‘It was a big two points for us,’’ coach Jeremy Colliton said. “It took awhile for us to get that [tying] goal, and it would have been nice for us to win in regulation. But overall, [I’m] just happy we stuck with it, even though we were down.’’
Smith’s homecoming
Forward Zack Smith, never a big star but one of the longest-tenured players in recent Senators history, was welcomed back with a touching video tribute and a standing ovation during the first period.
Smith was a third-round pick by the Senators in 2008 and played 612 games in 11 seasons for them.
‘‘I’ve been looking forward to this for a while,’’ he said before the game. ‘‘[It’s] my first trip back to the city since the trade, so it’s nice to get back and see a lot of familiar faces, people I’ve gotten to know. I spent a long time here over the years, so it’s pretty special.’’
