Senators beat Bruins in SO, clinch playoff berth
BOSTON -- The Ottawa Senators qualified for the playoffs with a tie in regulation before winning in a shootout to end the Boston Bruins' six-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory Thursday.
Craig Anderson made 28 saves through regulation and overtime, and he stopped all three in the shootout. Kyle Turris beat Tuukka Rask with the only shootout goal as the injury-ravaged Senators beat the Bruins for the fourth time in as many tries this season and sixth in a row dating back to last year.
The victory left the Senators one point ahead of the Bruins in second place in the Atlantic Division, Ottawa still with a game in hand. The Bruins, who clinched their playoff spot Tuesday, can still finish second, third or in the second wild-card spot.
Boston lost all 10 games this season to Ottawa, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals -- its three potential playoff opponents.
The Bruins host Washington in Boston's regular-season finale Saturday.
Anderson, who beat the Bruins in all four meetings this season, stopped David Pastrnak on a breakaway in the second period.
Rask made 25 saves as his personal four-game winning streak ended.
Both teams were missing stars as the Bruins were without the suspended Brad Marchand and the Senators without injured defensemen Erik Karlsson.
Drew Stafford scored a power-play goal for Boston in the first period, and Alexandre Burrows answered in the second, both scoring off bad clearing passes.
Bruins defenseman Torey Krug left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury. Ottawa's Viktor Stalberg exited in the third period after an Adam McQuaid hit sent him head-first into the boards. The hit appeared to be clean.
NOTES: Boston LW Brad Marchand met the media prior to the game after being suspended for two games for spearing Tampa Bay's Jake Dotchin on Tuesday. Said Marchand: "It was definitely selfish and undisciplined at the time." Dotchin, who returned to the game, said Thursday he was OK but experiencing some pain, and added that Marchand's stick got him near the eye while he was lying on the ice. ... Bruins RW Frank Vatrano, who missed four games with an upper-body injury, returned. ... Ottawa D Cody Ceci returned after missing two games with an injury. ... Bruins RW David Backes played his 800th NHL game. ... Bruins C Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, signed out of Boston University, obtained his work visa and was on the ice for the warmup. He didn't dress for the game. ... Boston RW David Pastrnak won the annual 7th Player Award, voting by the fans for the Bruin who exceeded expectations.