Brady Tkachuk scored the game-winning goal in overtime as the Ottawa Senators beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Saturday night, winning their third straight game, which is a season-high for them.
In the fourth consecutive overtime game between these teams in Ottawa, Tkachuk received a stretch pass from Jake Sanderson, made a move around defenseman Erik Karlsson, and then beat goaltender Tristan Jarry (who had 28 saves) for his team-leading 15th goal. With this win, the Senators improved to 3-2 in overtime, while Pittsburgh’s record dropped to 4-5.
Thomas Chabot scored a goal and added an assist, and Drake Batherson scored his 13th goal for Ottawa, which has now won 5 of its last 7 games.
After stopping 118 of 121 shots in his previous four wins, including a 32-save shutout against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, Linus Ullmark was back in goal for Ottawa and made 25 saves, earning his fifth consecutive win.
Blake Lizotte and Kris Letang scored for Pittsburgh, while defenseman Marcus Pettersson was injured late in the first period after a check into the boards and did not return to the game.
Ottawa took the lead early in the first period. After Claude Giroux’s rebound shot, he skated around Jarry’s net and passed to Chabot, who scored his second goal of the season at 7:34. Ullmark made key saves during a Pittsburgh scoring chance when he denied Michael Bunting on a breakaway and made a remarkable stick save on a rebound shot from Karlsson.
In the second period, after Blake Lizotte was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, Jarry made five big saves on the Ottawa power play to keep the Penguins within one. However, Ullmark responded with a crucial save on Sidney Crosby’s chip-in attempt at the far post in the final minute of the second period.
Lizotte redeemed himself early in the third period, scoring on a rebound from Matt Grzelcyk’s shot to tie the game at 1-1. Batherson put Ottawa back on top after a pass from Chabot deflected off his skate and into the net at 6:38. Letang tied the game once more for Pittsburgh with his seventh goal at the 12-minute mark, leading to overtime.
