WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Brady Tkachuk scored the winning goal on the power play with 1:45 left in the game to give the Ottawa Senators a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night.
With Brenden Dillon in the penalty box for high-sticking, Tkachuk took a pass from Tim Stutzle and fired the puck, which deflected into the net past Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
āGreat keep by (Jake Sanderson) and a great pass by Timmy,ā Tkachuk said. āI was just trying to stay open and I think Drake (Batherson) was tying up the net-front defense. So, everybody contributed. (Jakob Chychrun) also had a part keeping it in, too. Itās great that everybody had a part in a big moment in a game like that.ā
Ridly Greig and Boris Katchouk also scored for the Senators. Joonas Korpisalo made 28 saves for Ottawa.
āWe are having fun, for sure,ā Korpisalo said. āI feel good. As a whole team, we are on top of the league right now. And obviously, it helps everybody, individually.ā
The Senators extended their winning streak to five games.
āI think itās just the little things that everyoneās been doing, and you see the results that weāve had,ā Tkachuk said. āWeāve got to keep building, keep finishing strong and keep building on our momentum. ā¦ Itās been fun. Weāve got to keep building, keep working and hopefully, this is one of many down the stretch and in the future.ā
Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers replied for Winnipeg. Hellebuyck stopped 24 shots for Winnipeg in front of their fourth straight sellout crowd of 15,225 fans. It was Winnipegās sixth consecutive loss.
āThatās how fine this game is,ā said Scheifele, who tied the game 2-2 on the power play midway through the third period. āJust little things that matter, especially at this time of the season. They put the pressure on all game long. (Hellebuyck) made some good saves. I wish we pushed a few more past them.ā
It was the third game of a five-game homestand for Winnipeg.
āWe certainly need more from certain players, we do. Every team does,ā said frustrated Jets coach Rick Bowness. āWhen youāre going through a (slide) like this, you just need more from everybody and weāre going to get that.
āWeāre going to have to (have) a little bit more desperation from the start of the game and on. Again, weāre just finding ways (to lose). You take a late penalty, those things hurt you. Weāre finding ways to lose games. Weāll get going again. Weāll find ways to win games.ā
Greig took advantage of some great forechecking by Tkachuk, grabbed a loose puck and put it in the net behind a fallen Hellebuyck to give Ottawa a 2-1 lead.
The Senators tied the game at 1-all when Katchouk converted a 4-on-1 into the open side of the net, thanks to a perfect pass from Erik Brannstrom.
The Jets opened the scoring just 1:58 into the second period as Ehlers pounced on a Sean Monahan rebound on Korpisaloās doorstep.
Hellebuyck played in his 500th NHL game. Jets fans gave him a standing ovation when it was announced during the game.
UP NEXT
Senators: At Minnesota on Tuesday night to finish a two-game trip.
Jets: Host Los Angeles on Monday night in the fourth of a five-game homestand.
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