Drake Batherson tied a franchise record with goals in six consecutive games amid a two-goal performance to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 5-1 home-ice victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday.
Tim Stutzle collected a pair of assists and goaltender Matt Murray made 27 saves for the Senators, who have won four of five games and taken two of the first three straight meetings with the Flames.
The clubs meet a fourth consecutive time when they face off Thursday in Calgary.
After a scoreless first period, Ottawa's Artem Anisimov opened the scoring with his first goal of the season at 6:22 of the second period. Stutzle stole the puck from Sam Bennett at center, and eventually dropped a pass for Anisimov in the slot and he whipped a shot home.
Then, Batherson scored his first of the night two minutes later to double the lead. During an odd-man rush, Ottawa's hottest player took the puck to the high slot and found the mark.
The Flames were in dire need of momentum and appeared to receive it when Milan Lucic's power-play goal put them on the board just past the midway point. Lucic's first shot off the rush was stopped, but he bolted to the rebound and deposited the puck for his sixth goal of the year.
However, Batherson restored Ottawa's two-goal lead by taking advantage of a colossal miscue by Flames goalie David Rittich. Rittich mishandled a pass attempt from behind his net and ended up handing the puck to Batherson at the right face-off dot, and he made no mistake with the freebie for his ninth goal of the season and eighth in as many outings.
Colin White added an empty-net goal with 3:41 remaining, his fourth goal in three games, and then Evgenii Dadonov rounded out the scoring with a deflection goal 88 seconds later.
Rittich stopped 31 shots in the loss in his fifth straight start. The Flames -- who have just two wins in their last eight games -- will likely have No. 1 goalie Jacob Markstrom back for Thursday's clash.
--Field Level Media
Calgary | Ottawa | |
Milan Lucic 1 | Points | Drake Batherson 2 |
Milan Lucic 1 | Goals | Drake Batherson 2 |
Mikael Backlund 1 | Assists | Tim Stutzle 2 |
Milan Lucic 1 | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
David Rittich .886 | Save Percentage | Matt Murray .964 |
David Rittich 31 | Saves | Matt Murray 27 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Calgary | 28 | 1 | 1-3 | 1-1 | 4 | 32 |
Ottawa | 36 | 5 | 0-1 | 2-3 | 8 | 26 |