Ottawa Senators halt four-game skid by thrashing Pittsburgh Penguins

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SENATORS 5, PENGUINS 0

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The Ottawa Senators had no problem scoring goals on Saturday.

The Senators ended a four-game losing streak and took care of business by skating to a 5-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins at the PPG Paints Arena to start a back-to-back weekend that continues on Sunday at home against the Dallas Stars.

Rookie goaltender Leevi Merilainen wasn’t tested, but he made 30 stops for his first National Hockey League shutout. Claude Giroux had three assists to lead the way offensively, while Shane Pinto scored twice. Drake Batherson, Tyler Kleven and Tim Stutzle also chipped in with goals.

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This was the 1,100th win in franchise history and it came in Ottawa’s 2,482nd game.

“We played a good game. We had chances and we were able to put it in the net,” Giroux told TSN 1200’s Gord Wilson. “With that you get confidence, and I think we played the right way tonight for 60 minutes.”

It was also the Senators’ sixth straight win against the Penguins and it couldn’t have come at a better time because Pittsburgh is one of the clubs Ottawa is battling for the final wildcard playoff spot in the National Hockey League’s Eastern Conference.

Ottawa hasn’t lost to Pittsburgh since Jan. 20, 2023.

“We were solid right from the drop of the puck,” Senators head coach Travis Green told Wilson. “We looked like a team that was ready to play with some conviction tonight, and it was a nice road win.”

Green told the players to try to get their “swagger back” and they did in a big way.

LEEVI GETS A CHANCE

There is nothing like throwing the kid to the wolves.

Merilainen made his fifth appearance this season, and all his starts have come on the road. This was the first time he had faced the Penguins, but the Senators gave him offensive support and played well in front of him.

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Booed off the ice after a 4-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday at the Canadian Tire Centre, the Senators were able to get solid goaltending from Merilainen, and we’ve found out on many nights how that can be a difference.

“It feels awesome to get the first one out of the way, but it feels as good as any win,” Merilainen said.

This time the Penguins were booed off the ice.

Merilainen came into this game with a 2-2-0 record. Defenceman Thomas Chabot grabbed the puck at the buzzer as a keepsake for the young netminder.

“That’s awesome. Moments like this you enjoy a little bit more. He’s a great kid,” Giroux said.

CHANGING LINES

Green shifted all his forward lines around for Saturday’s game.

Why not? Nothing else had worked for this team lately and he had to try something. It paid dividends because the last time the Senators scored five goals or more was Dec. 21 against the Vancouver Canucks.

The Senators chased Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic at 7:06 of the second period after he allowed his fifth goal on 16 shots. He didn’t move as Stutzle picked the loose puck out from between Nedeljkovic’s legs and put it home.

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Batherson scored his first in 11 games to end his drought.

“It was just an overall good team win,” Pinto told Wilson. “It was good to get on the scoresheet. It was nice up and down the lineup contributing.”

The Senators finished Saturday’s game without winger Cole Reinhardt. He took a hit from Pittsburgh’s Jesse Puljujarvi and didn’t return because of an upper-body injury.

STRONG FIRST

The Senators couldn’t have scripted a better start.

They held the Penguins to 0-for-4 on the power play and Pinto scored twice, including a short-handed effort at 19:04 to give the Senators a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes.

“The craziest (period) of the year so far,” Pinto told TSN’s Gord Miller. “The last four games were pretty frustrating. Just getting three in the first builds our confidence. We’ve just got to keep playing the right way.”

There were scrums and 30 minutes of penalties assessed to both teams.

Two goals in a span of 1:58 gave the Senators a 2-0 lead at 5:14. Pinto scored his first in eight games with the man advantage, firing one home from the faceoff circle.

Kleven’s second of the season opened the scoring on Ottawa’s first shot. That was the ninth time this season that the Penguins gave up a goal on the first shot, and this one appeared to hit the Penguins’ Noel Acciari on the way into the net.

Pittsburgh challenged that Stutzle had interfered with Nedeljkovic’s, but the NHL’s situation room didn’t agree. It was the Senators’ first time opening the scoring in six games, and it came at 3:16.

“The presence of Stutzle in the crease did not impair Nedeljkovic’s ability to play his position,” the league said.

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