In the biggest game of his career, the Hamburglar was nowhere to be seen.

Andrew (Hamburglar) Hammond had a skate malfunction that saw him miss the opening anthems and had Sens faithful wondering if he was really just a nice dream.

But as soon as the arena’s lights came on, the phenom netminder sprinted onto the ice to 19,270 screaming fans at the Canadian Tire Centre.

“The crowd was so electric it was kind of hard to settle in right away when you’re kind of flustered,” Hammond said after a 6-4 victory over the Boston Bruins Thursday night.

That chaos carried over into the rest of a hectic playoff-like contest.

While Hammond’s four goals allowed made sure he didn’t break one former Vezina trophy winner’s 77-year-old record.

He was involved in a good old-fashioned shootout with another, Bruins’ netminder Tuukka Rask who allowed five goals on 31 shots.

Hammond tied Bruins Hall of Fame goalie Frank Brimsek after he gave up two or fewer goals in the first 12 games of his career, a record Brimsek held since Dec. 27, 1938.

But his 31 saves still made sure he kept the Senators alive in the playoff race.

“The team just kept fighting and for a while there it looked like whatever team scored the last goal would win the game, but I thought in the third period we played real well,” said Hammond.

Hammond is now 12-0-1 after the much-needed victory and more importantly the Senators pulled to within two points of the Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot.

Kyle Turris’ empty netter with 19 seconds left sealed the deal and the goal was greeted by a couple flying burgers.

But the Hamburglar said they were thrown too early.

“It was cool to see that but maybe not at the end of the game with 18 seconds left but still cool to see,” he said.

Hammond also had some advice for his teammate Curtis Lazar who was seen taking a bite out of one of the burgers.

“I saw him coming to the pile and it was half eaten but I didn’t know if that was him or not. We can probably work something out if he’s that desperate for hamburgers.”

It was Bobby Ryan’s 18th that put the Sens up 5-4, 11:28 into the third after a flukey shot on net.

Ryan’s shot was fluffed into the air by Rask, somehow hit Zdeno Chara and dropped into the back of the net.

He said he’s still confused with what happened.

“I still don’t really know. Obviously not much has gone in for us as a line so I just tried to shovel an ugly one in there,” said Ryan.

“Pumps (Matt Puempel) celebrated like it was his and I thought it was but I guess it went off the pad and hit Chara in the skate or the foot or something. Dumb luck.”

It’s Ryan’s third game winner against the Bruins this season.

Adding to what was a wild first period referee Kelly Sutherland had to leave the game to be evaluated by medical personnel after he was involved in a collision with Senators forward Alex Chiasson and B’s forward Ryan Spooner.

While Francis Charron, who took over from Sutherland, also got banged up after taking a Milan Lucic slap shot to the leg, but he managed to stay in the game.

Spooner continued to haunt his hometown team after netting two more against the Senators.

Spooner’s second goal came on a 5-on-3 power play at 11:42 in the second after Senators defenceman Eric Gryba was sent off for high sticking.

The 23-year-old controlled a pass from Torey Krug before firing it past Hammond’s glove side, tying the game up at 3-3.

Spooner scored two goals in his first NHL game in Ottawa on March 10 and now has scored four of his five goals against the Sens.

Krug dug the knife deeper into Hammond as the defenceman grabbed a loose puck in front and tucked it top shelf over Hammond’s blocker at 13:17, and once again locked the scoreline.

Jean Gabriel Pageau provided a few energetic chances and put the Senators up midway through the second with a shorthanded tally.

Rask made the first move and Pageau patiently tucked it around the Finn’s pad to put the Sens up 4-3.

Pageau had two quick shots go just wide in the middle of the second frame, blowing past Rask’s left pad on both occasions.

Senators leading scorer Mike Hoffman, who leads the Senators with 24 goals, left the masses on edge after he had three marquee opportunities at both ends of the ice but couldn’t bury either.

Kyle Turris sent the game into a frenzied pace 19 seconds in after he scored his 18th of the season off a rebound from a Milan Michalek snap shot. Mark Stone set up the play with a nifty backhand pass to Michalek just above the circle.

The Bruins responded before Hammond could even get settled in net as Carl Soderberg tied it up off a quick snap shot, his 11th of the season.

Three minutes later, the Bruins struck again as Spooner tipped home a Milan Lucic snap shot at 4:04 in the first. Spooner battled hard in the boards before finding Lucic above the circle.

Twitter: @Keaton_Robbins​