Senators 4, Oilers 1
EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Ottawa Senators exacted a measure of revenge by beating the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 Tuesday night.
Back on Feb. 4, the Oilers humiliated the Senators in Ottawa, winning 7-2. But thanks to a first-ever NHL goal from left winger Nick Paul and a 30-save effort from goalie Craig Anderson, the Senators returned the favor and won their fourth game in a row in the process.
The Oilers fell for the fifth straight game, all of them on home ice.
At 3:31 of the third period, the Senators restored their two-goal lead, as center Alex Chiasson converted a pass from center Zack Smith on a two-on-one rush. That rush came after Oilers defenseman Justin Schultz mishandled a pass in the neutral zone, and the Senators then dashed back the other way.
Anderson put an exclamation mark on a fine night when he closed the pads to stone Oilers right winger Nail Yakupov, who had a great close look late in the third period.
Right wing Mark Stone added an empty-netter at 16:39, as Oilers coach Todd McLellan chose to yank goalie Cam Talbot with almost four minutes left in regulation.
Paul, playing in his fourth NHL game, got his first NHL goal at 12:50 of the first. He was in the right place in front of the Oilers goal to tap in a rebound off a shot from defenseman Chris Wideman.
Anderson, who was named the NHL's third star of the week Monday, made a series of saves late in the first period off a goalmouth scramble to preserve the lead heading into the first intermission.
Two minutes into the second, Anderson was beaten by a tip from Oilers right winger Teddy Purcell, but was thankful to see the puck hit the base of the post and stay out.
At 5:53, the Senators made it 2-0 as Smith squeezed a shot through Talbot on an Ottawa power play. Smith one-timed a pass from Stone.
For Talbot, it was a cruel end to a sequence which saw him make two highlight-reel stops. The Oilers, though, couldn't get the puck out of the zone and the Senators made them pay.
The Oilers got one back with 1:46 left in the period. Moments after a power play expired, right winger Jordan Eberle beat Anderson off a rebound.
NOTES: Before the game, Oilers president of hockey operations and general manager Peter Chiarelli declared that his team, situated in the basement of the Western Conference, would be "sellers" up to the Feb. 29 trade deadline. ... Senators RW Mark Stone entered action as the runaway leader in the takeaway category. He had 97 takeaways, 40 more than Carolina's Jeff Skinner, who held down second place. ... Senators LW Clarke MacArthur, who suffered a concussion in the fourth game of the season, is on the road trip and is expected to play in the coming days. ... Oilers D Jordan Oesterle, who was called up Sunday from the team's AHL affiliate in Bakersfield in Calif., made his season debut. ... The Oilers scratched C Anton Lander and D Adam Clendening. D Eric Gryba was out with a knee problem. ... The Senators scratched C Shane Prince and D Patrick Wiercioch.