In Ottawa, the Senators got goals from seven different skaters on Saturday, and defeated the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning, 7-4.
Cam Talbot made 20 saves in the win, the victory ended a four-game skid for Ottawa.
“Give credit to the leaders and older guys to have the team ready,” Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said. “Obviously disappointing not making the playoffs, but they’re going to work right until the end.”
Ottawa’s Drake Batherson and the Lightning’s Alex Killorn traded goals in the first period for a 1-1 tie.
“We obviously want to finish the season on a high note,” Talbot said. “No better way than beating a team of that caliber, so it was good to get a big win tonight.”
Julien Gauthier gave the Sens a 2-1 lead with nine left in the opening stanza.
“It’s fun to contribute, and I think my line had a great game and it was an overall great effort from the boys,” Gauthier said. “It’s never fun when you don’t play for something, but we are playing the full 82 games and we have two more. We have to have the same work ethic and get it done.”
Tampa dropped to 45-29-6 off their third loss on a roadie.
“Extremely disappointing road trip (0-3-0),” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “We’re playing like the season ended when we clinched the playoff spot. I’m surprised. I’ve been with this group a long time, and I’m surprised that this is how it’s happening.”
A trade of goals in the second period from the Senators’ Patrick Brown, and Tampa’s Brandon Hagel put the score at 3-2 to the Sens in the middle frame.
“Turnovers, we’re giving up so many chances again, it’s tough to win like that,” Hagel said. “Sometimes you just have to simplify. We’re not playing smart hockey and it costs us. Obviously it was a tough trip, so it will be good to go back home and hopefully give a better effort.”
Victor Hedman knotted it at 3-3 with six minutes left in the frame.
scored his first NHL goal, and the Ottawa Senators ended a four-game skid with a 7-4 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Saturday.
Alex DeBrincat scored with 17 seconds left left in the second for a 4-3 lead to Ottawa, and Egor Sokolov (first career NHL goal) scored to give the Senators a 5-3 advantage early in the third period.
“I still can’t believe it, it doesn’t feel real to me,” Sokolov said. “I’ve got like a hundred messages on my phone. I kind of teared up a little bit, I’ll be honest with you.
Tampa’s Brayden Point trimmed the deficit to 5-4 with six minutes gone in the third.
“The past three games we’re back to getting scored on a lot,” Lightning forward Michael Eyssimont said. “Our [defensemen] are working hard on the back and we’re not helping them a whole lot. That’s the forwards’ fault.”
A bit?
Ottawa’s Mark Kastelic scored midway through the third for a 6-4 lad, and Claude Giroux hit an empty net for the 7-4 final late in the frame.
Brian Elliott made 33 saves in the loss.
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