Flyers 3, Senators 2
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Flyers kept up their late-season momentum, getting two power-play goals from winger Wayne Simmonds to pave the way to a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
All three of the Flyers' tallies were with a man advantage, something that had not been a strength of the club this season. The Flyers entered the afternoon 18th in the league on the power play (18.1 percent) but were able to capitalize on all but one Senators penalty on Saturday afternoon.
Flyers goalie Steve Mason stopped 33 of 35 shots for his 22nd win of the season.
Simmonds opened the scoring with a goal early in the second and scored the eventual game-winner in the third, his 28th of the season. The eighth-year pro's second tally of the afternoon came with 12:45 remaining on a rebound at the side of the net, restoring a two-goal advantage for the home team.
Ottawa got a power-play goal of its own with 7:32 left, a blast off the stick of center Mike Hoffman, but couldn't find the equalizer despite pulling goalie Andrew Hammond for the final minute of play.
The win was the third straight for the Flyers (39-25-13), who have picked up at least one point in six of their last seven games to surge into the eighth and final playoff slot in the Eastern Conference with five games remaining.
With 91 points, the Flyers are just two points back of the New York Islanders -- who lost at home to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon -- for the seventh seed in the playoffs.
The Senators (36-34-9), which gave up the first goal in the game for the 50th time this season, had been previously eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the week.
After a scoreless first period, the Flyers capitalized on their power-play opportunities in the second.
A high-sticking penalty on Ottawa's Alex Chiasson gave Philadelphia a man advantage just 51 seconds into the middle period, and 41 seconds Simmonds redirected a Jakub Voracek pass past Hammond for a 1-0 advantage.
Flyers center Sean Couturier doubled the lead at the 11:14 mark, burying home a rebound a minute after a slashing call against Ottawa defenseman Chris Wideman had left the Senators shorthanded yet again.
The Senators got one back with 2:12 left in the second period, when center Mika Zibanejad buried a slap shot past Mason for his 19th goal of the season.
NOTES: The Flyers and Senators split their previous two meetings this season, Ottawa 4-0 on Nov. 21 and Philadelphia 4-2 on Dec. 1. Both games were played in Ottawa. ... Flyers G Steve Mason made his eighth consecutive start, his longest consecutive stretch this season. ... The Flyers are 12-3-2 in their last 17 games. They are tied with the Red Wings for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference but have two more games to play. ... The Senators were eliminated from playoff contention on March 30 after the Flyers beat the Capitals in a shootout. ... Senators D Marc Methot and D Patrick Wiercioch were healthy scratches. ... Flyers C R.J. Umberger, C Jordan Weal, C Scott Laughton and D Evgeny Medvedev were scratched. ... The Senators recalled D Ben Harpur from Binghamton (AHL) on March 31.