Chris Tierney’s goal late in regulation broke the deadlock and rookie goaltender Filip Gustavsson won in his first career start to give the host Ottawa Senators a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday.
Ryan Dzingel also scored for the Senators, who received a 35-save performance from Gustavsson. Ottawa sits last in the North Division but has won four of six meetings with the floundering Flames.
Johnny Gaudreau scored the lone goal for the Flames, who have dropped two straight games and three of four affairs. Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves in the loss for Calgary, which sits ahead of only Ottawa in the division.
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With the score tied 1-1 and overtime looming, Tierney scored his first goal in 30 games to net the winner. Taking advantage of a Calgary turnover, Mike Reilly sent a point shot that was stopped, but Tierney converted the rebound with 2:36 remaining.
The clubs will meet again on Wednesday in Ottawa. The Senators went into the night having allowed at least three goals in nine consecutive outings. The last team held below three goals was the Flames on March 1, in a 5-1 Ottawa victory.
Dzingel opened the scoring despite the Flames owning momentum through the first half of the opening period. Sprung on a two-on-one rush, Dzingel opted to shoot and found the mark just inside the far post at the 10:23 mark of the game for his fifth goal in nine games since being re-acquired by the Senators.
It’s only the 11th time in 34 games the Senators have scored first and only the seventh time they led after the first period. They’re now 6-0-1 when holding a lead at the first intermission.
Gaudreau finally put the struggling Flames on the board with 5:06 remaining in regulation. Sprung on a breakaway by Milan Lucic, Gaudreau roofed a quick shot from the slot. Gaudreau’s first even-strength goal in 20 games is also Calgary’s first goal in 142 minutes and 21 seconds of action.
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The Flames not only lost the game but just before puck drop announced forward Brett Ritchie will not play and is listed as day-to-day due to a lower-body injury. Zac Rinaldo dressed in his place.
–Field Level Media