Takeaways from Ottawa Senators' third-period collapse in 7-4 loss to Colorado Avalanche

The Ottawa Senators faced a challenging night against the surging Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, falling to a 7-4 defeat at the Canadian Tire Centre. In a season of setbacks, their latest loss is another dent on their playoff aspirations.

The Senators had their moments, including a power-play goal by Drake Batherson and a solid effort by Jake Sanderson. But their inability to sustain their lead, along with a collapse in their defensive structure eventually proved costly.

The Ottawa Senators will look to rebound from this loss when they take on the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. The Canadiens have been flip-flopping the past few weeks between wins and losses but remain a formidable opponent.

Meanwhile, here are three key takeaways from the Senators' encounter with the Avalanche:

#1 Missed opportunities and defensive lapses

The Senators held a promising two-goal lead, raising hopes of an upset against the high-flying Colorado Avalanche, coming off two dominant wins.

Ridly Greig, elevated to the top line alongside Brady Tkachuk and Claude Giroux due to Josh Norris' injury, seized the opportunity and contributed two goals.

Defensive lapses, giveaways and missed chances, though, allowed Colorado to swiftly erase Ottawa's lead. Senators fans can be upset with the third period but also encouraged to see the cohesion of their youth early in the game.

#2 Ridly Greig shines despite team struggles

Ridly Greig emerged as a bright spot for the Senators, with a two-goal performance that showed his potential for the future.

Thriving on the top line, Greig has contributed in recent weeks, which underscore his potential and ability to step up when called upon. Despite the loss, Greig's promising display provides optimism for the Senators' future. The former first-round pick was recently rated as the Sens' top prospect.

#3 Massively costly third period for the Ottawa Senators

The turning point of the game came in the third period, where the Ottawa Senators' defensive vulnerabilities were exploited by the Avalanche.

Colorado capitalized on Ottawa's mistakes. Mikko Rantanen scored late in the second period to make it 4-3, and it was all Avalanche from there.

Miles Wood, Sam Milinsky and Logan O'Connor gave the Avalanche key depth in scoring to seal the win for Colorado as the Senators struggled to contain the avalanche.