David Perron scored on the power play to complete a three-goal second period for the Ottawa Senators, who held off a late push to defeat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Saturday night.
Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson also found the back of the net for Ottawa, now winning seven of its last nine games. Linus Ullmark stood tall in the net, making 25 saves to secure the victory.
Nico Hischier and Erik Haula scored for New Jersey, which has lost three of its last four games. Jake Allen stopped 16 shots in the loss.
Tkachuk opened the scoring 4:05 into the second period with his 28th goal of the season, and Batherson followed up 33 seconds later with his 20th to quickly give Ottawa a 2-0 advantage.
Hischier responded for the Devils with a power-play goal at 7:13, his 30th of the season, extending his point streak to six games. Jesper Bratt notched his 61st assist on the play, setting a new franchise record and surpassing Scott Stevens’ 60-assist mark from 1993-94.
However, Perron restored Ottawa’s two-goal lead just 1:31 later with his sixth of the season.
Haula brought New Jersey back within one with his eighth goal, scoring with just 23 seconds remaining in regulation. The Devils nearly tied it in the final seconds with several close-range attempts, but Ullmark made key stop,s and Jake Sanderson cleared the puck from the crease to preserve the win.
Game Takeaways
Senators: With this win, Ottawa holds the top wild-card position in the Eastern Conference and moved within one point of the Devils for third in the Metropolitan Division. The Senators also have two games in hand.
Devils: New Jersey has lost six of its last ten and risks slipping into a wild card spot if the skid continues.
Key Moment
The Senators broke the game open early in the second period, scoring twice in a 33-second span through goals from Tkachuk and Batherson.
Key Stat
Jesper Bratt’s 61st assist set a new franchise single-season record, surpassing Scott Stevens’ mark of 60 set in the 1993-94 season.
Looking Ahead
Ottawa heads to Buffalo to face the Sabres on Tuesday, while New Jersey wraps up its homestand on Monday against the Vancouver Canucks.
