Senators Surge with Four First-Period Goals, Secure Fifth Straight Win Against Bruins

The Ottawa Senators delivered a dominant first period, scoring four goals en route to a 6-3 victory over the Boston Bruins at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday, marking their fifth consecutive win.

Drake Batherson led the charge with two goals and an assist, while Brady Tkachuk extended his point streak to eight games. Ridly Greig and Shane Pinto each contributed a goal and an assist, and Linus Ullmark made 22 saves for the Senators, who are now 6-0-1 in their last seven games.

“It was awesome,” Batherson said. “Mom made me some home-cooked meals yesterday, so she’s probably going to take all the credit for that.”

Ullmark’s highlight-reel save on Mason Lohrei’s one-timer in the second period preserved the Senators’ lead. “Oh my god, he’s such a stud,” Ottawa defenseman Tyler Kleven said of Ullmark. “I mean, he’s such a big part of this team and he wins us a lot of games.”

Casey Mittelstadt, David Pastrnak, and Marat Khusnutdinov scored for the Bruins, who had won their previous two games. Jeremy Swayman was pulled after the first period, having allowed four goals on 15 shots, and Joonas Korpisalo made 15 saves in relief.

“We just weren’t good enough in most of the facets in the first period,” Boston coach Joe Sacco said. “Our execution wasn’t quite there, we weren’t sharp, our passing was off, and because of that, they got us back on our heels and then took the play to us in the first period.”

The Senators established their early lead with goals from Pinto, Kleven, Batherson, and Greig in the first period. “I think that our mindset, like, we’re in such a tight playoff push right now and these guys are battling for a playoff spot,” Kleven said. “I think that we all knew that we all needed to play our best tonight.”

Despite a push from the Bruins in the second and third periods, the Senators maintained their advantage. Batherson scored his second goal of the game, and Claude Giroux added an empty-netter to seal the victory.

“Lots of ups and downs,” Ullmark said. “Came out hot, played a really, really solid, really good first period, dominated them completely and showed on the scoreboard as well. Then it’s hard. We haven’t been put in this position a lot throughout the season, so it’s a new sort of feeling for us as well, going into the second and having that lead.”

Key Performances:

• Ottawa Senators: Drake Batherson (2 goals, 1 assist), Brady Tkachuk (point streak extended to 8 games), Ridly Greig (1 goal, 1 assist), Shane Pinto (1 goal, 1 assist), Linus Ullmark (22 saves).
• Boston Bruins: Casey Mittelstadt (1 goal), David Pastrnak (1 goal), Marat Khusnutdinov (1 goal).

Notable Notes:

• Ullmark is 5-0-1 with a .913 save percentage in his past six starts.
• Tkachuk, who left the game late, is expected to play in the next game.
• Tim Stutzle surpassed Marian Hossa for 10th in franchise history with his 203rd NHL assist.

By Vitalina Andrushchenko, Staff Writer