Pinto stars for Senators in big win over Avalanche

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Shane Pinto won't likely forget his 26th birthday anytime soon.

OTTAWA – Shane Pinto won’t likely forget his 26th birthday anytime soon.

Pinto scored his second goal of the game 2:08 into overtime to lead the Senators to a 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche, who lost both Cale Makar and Nathan Mackinnon midway through the game. The team said the two would travel to Montreal but had no other update.

Pinto scored the winner when he intercepted a Parker Kelly pass near centre ice and wristed a shot past Scott Wedgewood blocker side from the top of the slot.

His first goal came after he blocked a shot and won a foot race for a loose puck to beat Wedgewood five-hole.

“He was great,” said Senators coach Travis Green. “He was probably our best player tonight. He was skating, physical when he needed to be. We needed that tonight.”

Drafted 32nd overall in 2019, Pinto has developed into a dependable two-way centre who can handle tough defensive assignments while providing secondary scoring.

He’s someone Senators head coach Travis Green trusts in different situations. Pinto is often matched against the opposition’s top line, kills penalties, wins faceoffs and still contributes offensively.

“I’m not sure where he caps out as a player,” said Green. “I don’t think we’ve seen it yet. If he’s in a matchup role we still want him to score and try to score. When we do play with a matchup we want that line to play in the other zone and play offence as well.

Despite his defensive responsibilities, Pinto is third in team scoring with nine goals and 17 points. He has seven goals and three assists in his last 10 games.

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