Drake Batherson's OT goal lifts Senators over Penguins 2-1, stops 7-game skid

Ottawa Senators' Drake Batherson, center, celebrates his game winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins with Jake Sanderson, left, and Tim Stutzle following overtime in an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, March 12, 2024, Ottawa, Ontario. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Drake Batherson scored 3:13 into overtime, and the Ottawa Senators ended a seven-game winless streak with a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.

Michael Bunting scored the tying goal with 23 seconds left in regulation, but the Penguins lost for the seventh time in eight games.

Jake Sanderson broke a scoreless tie 11 minutes into the third period for the Senators, who were 0-6-1 in their previous seven games. Batherson’s winner, assisted by Sanderson and Tim Stutzle, was his career-best 23rd goal of the season.

“It’s been quite a bit since we got a win,” Batherson said. “It was a nice play by (Sanderson) to (Stutzle) and then Timmy just made a great play to me back door and I was able to just squeeze it in.”

Joonas Korpisalo made 34 saves, and Tristan Jarry had 37 stops for the Penguins, who had been outscored 15-1 in their previous three games.

Pittsburgh trails the New York Islanders by seven points for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

“A loss is a loss at the end of the day,” Jarry said. “We’re in a tough spot and that’s the only way you can look at it at this time of year. It’s tough to be in this position and we need the wins and maybe one more save might have done it.”

Sanderson put Ottawa in front after taking a pass from Mathieu Joseph in the slot. Bunting’s tying goal came with an extra skater on the ice.

The Senators thought they had opened the scoring when Claude Giroux found the net at 4:08 of the third, but the Penguins challenged for goaltender interference. After a lengthy review, the goal was overturned.

Ottawa generated a number of chances late in the second period, but Jarry turned away opportunities for Stutzle, Max Guenette and Batherson.

ile the Penguins are desperately searching for a way to spark their offence, Senators interim head coach Jacques Martin took much pleasure in a low-scoring game.

“There were some ups and downs in the game and I thought we handled it pretty good,” Ottawa coach Jacques Martin said. “We had a goal taken away, and we didn’t pack it in.”

The Senators didn’t do much with a pair of power plays in the second period. The Penguins generated great puck movement on their lone power play opportunity in the first but failed to truly test Korpisalo.

“I didn’t think we did as good a job tonight getting to the net front,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “We’ve got to do a better job fighting for that area of the rink.”

Zack Ostapchuk made his NHL debut for the Senators after being recalled from the AHL. The 20-year-old had two shots in 13 minutes.

UP NEXT

Ottawa: At Columbus on Thursday.

Pittsburgh: San Jose at home Thursday.

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