Senators snap 6-game winless skid, beat Coyotes 3-2
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Marcus Hogberg made 32 saves and the Ottawa Senators snapped a six-game winless streak with a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night.
Vladislav Namestnikov, Brady Tkachuk and Nick Paul each scored for the Senators, who opened a season-high six-game homestand by ending a four-game skid (0-2-2) at home.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jordan Oesterle scored for the Coyotes, while Antti Raanta stopped 28 shots.
Arizona wrapped up its four-game road trip Thursday with a 1-2-1 record. The Coyotes are in a tight playoff race in the Pacific Division and hope to gain ground on Calgary and Vegas.
Hogberg preserved Ottawa’s 2-1 lead by starting off the third period with two saves on Lawson Crouse.
Paul then gave the Senators a two-goal advantage as Raanta got a piece of his snap shot, but it got past the Arizona goalie and dropped into the net.
The Coyotes battled back as Oesterle beat Hogberg five-hole two minutes later, but Arizona couldn’t get the equalizer.
Hogberg was spectacular for Ottawa in the second period, making great saves on Vinnie Hinostroza and Nick Schmaltz. Arizona was finally able to beat him with a power-play goal late in the period.
Ekman-Larsson took a feed from Taylor Hall and put a shot through traffic that took a bounce off Namestnikov on its way to the net.
The Senators, who were 0-4-2 in their last six, got the start they were looking for as they took a 2-0 first-period lead.
Ottawa opened the scoring just 2:50 into the first period as Drake Batherson chased down a dumped puck and dropped a pass back to Namestnikov, who beat Raanta from in close.
Tkachuk made it 2-0 as he tipped Thomas Chabot’s point shot for his 17th of the season.
NOTES: Ottawa’s Tyler Ennis played in his 600th career game. … Mark Borowiecki returned to the Senators’ lineup after missing the last two games for the birth of his son Miles. But, Borowiecki was injured during Paul’s goal when he collided near Ottawa’s bench and hobbled off the ice.
UP NEXT
Coyotes: host Washington on Saturday night.
Senators: host Toronto on Saturday night.
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