Tkachuk’s OT winner lifts Senators past Penguins 5-4, snap two-game skid

Jan 18, 2023 | 7:33 PM

OTTAWA — Brady Tkachuk scored the game-winning goal 25 seconds into overtime and the Ottawa Senators snapped a two-game skid, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 Wednesday night.

Alex DeBrincat, Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson and Shane Pinto also scored for Ottawa (20-21-3), which went 4-for-9 on the power play.

Tkachuk added three assists and Cam Talbot stopped 16 shots.

Jason Zucker, Evgeni Malkin, Mark Friedman and Rickard Rakell responded for the Penguins (22-15-7). Casey DeSmith made 35 saves.

Tied 3-3 in the third period, the Senators scored their fourth power-play goal at 10:58 when Pinto beat DeSmith with a wrist shot.

Under two minutes later, Rakell replied for the Penguins with a power-play marker of his own to eventually send the game to overtime.

Tkachuk sent a backhand pass in front for Batherson, who knotted the contest at 3-3 9:19 into the second period.

Pittsburgh regained its lead at 3:07 of the middle frame when Friedman beat Talbot with a long-range shot.

Malkin tied the game at 2-2 when he jammed home a rebound from a Ty Smith point shot 15:23 into the opening frame.

Earlier in the period, Ottawa made the most of a double minor penalty against Jeff Carter, scoring twice on the four-minute power play.

Stutzle skated around Crosby and scored his 20th of the season at 9:44.

DeBrincat tied the game two minutes prior on a feed from Batherson. 

Talbot got a piece of Marcus Pettersson’s shot, but the puck fell behind him and Zucker tucked it in to open the scoring 6:36 into the first.

INTERESTING FACT OR STAT

Sidney Crosby entered Wednesday’s game one point shy of having his 16th 50th-point campaign. He picked up an assist on the Penguins’ second goal giving him sole possession of second for most 50-point seasons among all active players.

NOTES 

Josh Norris returned to the Senators lineup after missing 38 games with a shoulder injury. It marked his first time back in the lineup since Oct. 22. … Mathieu Joseph, who missed 17 games with a lower-body injury, was a healthy scratch. Joseph’s brother, Pierre-Olivier, plays for the Penguins and expected more than 50 friends and family to be in attendance. … Ottawa announced it sent forward Jacob Lucchini to Belleville of the American Hockey League.

UP NEXT

The Senators head to Pittsburgh where the two teams will play the back half of their home-and-home series.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2023.

Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press