The Ottawa Senators have their first four-game winning streak of the season thanks to a fantastic road performance against a key division rival. The Senators stomped the Boston Bruins 6–2 on Sunday, allowing just 19 shots in the process.

Fabian Zetterlund led the way with two goals and an assist, while Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson each added a goal and two helpers. Claude Giroux had a goal and an assist.

With the victory, Ottawa moved to within one point of a playoff spot and has now won five of its last six games. 

The Senators jumped out to an early 3–0 lead in the first period on goals from Batherson, Giroux, and Zetterlund.

David Pastrnak scored late in the opening frame to cut the deficit to 3–1 after 20 minutes.

Ottawa came out firing in the second period, scoring on goals by Tim Stützle and Dylan Cozens, which all but sealed Boston’s fate. Former Senator Joonas Korpisalo was chased from the game at that point in favour of Jeremy Swayman, who was forced into action on the second night of a back-to-back.

Michael Eyssimont cut Ottawa’s lead to 5–2 with just over five minutes remaining in the period, but Zetterlund quickly restored Ottawa’s four-goal advantage with a power-play marker, his ninth goal of the season. That would be the end of the scoring, but not the hostilities.

With the home side wanting to leave some kind of mark, Sens enforcers Kurtis MacDermid dropped the gloves twice, first with Tanner Jeannot in the second period, and later with ex-Senator Mark Kastelic in the third.

Things escalated further in the final minute of the game when David Pastrnak exchanged words with Brady Tkachuk, who was standing on the Senms bench. On the ensuing faceoff, Pastrnak appeared to catch Nick Jensen with a high stick, prompting Ridly Greig to intervene. Greig landed a couple of hard punches, leaving Pastrnak with a bloody lip as both players were escorted off the ice.

While the score was one-sided, it could have been even worse for Boston with the Sens missing a lot of other chances. Stutzle, for one, couldn’t finish on two clear-cut, shorthanded breakaways.

What stood out in the third was Ottawa’s workmanlike finish. Previous versions of this team might have loosened up and excitedly tried to pad their stat lines. But the Senators took care of business, and stayed disciplined and defensively airtight.

The Senators return to action Tuesday night for their final game before Christmas, hosting the Buffalo Sabres at the Canadian Tire Centre.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa