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Senators take down Penguins

Dec 17, 2011 - 4:52 AM Ottawa, ON (Sports Network) - Jason Spezza recorded two goals and two assists, while Jared Cowen added a goal and three helpers as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 6-4.

Daniel Alfredsson scored and added two assists, while Colin Greening and Zenon Konopka also tallied for Ottawa, which got 32 saves from Alex Auld.

"We did a good job of coming back in this game and not sitting on the lead," said Alfredsson. "A good win against one of the best teams in the league."

Ottawa played without Milan Michalek, who came into Friday night tied for the NHL lead in goals with 19. Michalek suffered a concussion during Tuesday's game against Buffalo and is out indefinitely.

Steve Sullivan recorded a goal and two assists, while Chris Kunitz, Matt Niskanen and Evgeni Malkin also netted goals for the Penguins, who have lost three of their last four games without superstar captain Sidney Crosby. Crosby is once again bothered by concussion symptoms.

Brent Johnson stopped 14-of-19 shots before being pulled after the second period. Marc-Andre Fleury finished the game and stopped 4-of-5 shots for Pittsburgh.

"They used their speed to good effect against us tonight," said Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma. "We gave them too much room to work with and they made us pay."

After a scoreless first period, the teams combined for eight goals in the second period, which included three tallies in a span of 2:04 to start the stanza.

The Senators drew first blood 25 seconds in. Spezza skated up the right wing and fed Greening in the slot for a tip-in.

The Penguins quickly answered 1:10 later as Sullivan's wrister from the right circle handcuffed Auld as it sailed into the net.

But the Senators regained the lead just 29 seconds later. After the Penguins turned the puck over in their own zone, Alfredsson controlled the disk from the right boards and fed Spezza, whose one-time laser beat Johnson.

Ottawa then took a 3-1 advantage at the 6:45 mark as Alfredsson's wrister from the right circle ripped the back of the net.

Pittsburgh countered with two power-play goals to tie the score at three midway through the period. Niskanen's slap shot from the left point beat Auld, while Malkin lifted a wrister into the upper-right corner from the top of the left circle.

Ottawa, though, had a quick answer at 13:20 as Cowen attempted to feed a pass in front from the left boards. But his pass was deflected by a Penguins defenseman in front and into the net for a 4-3 lead.

Konopka tallied on the power play with just six seconds left in the period for the final tally of the stanza. Erik Karlsson put a wrister on net and Konopka tipped it home from the crease.

Spezza finished on the breakaway to make it 6-3 midway through the third period, and Kunitz's tally came with 1:02 left to accounted for the final margin.

Game Notes

Karlsson had three assists...The Penguins finished 2-for-4 on the power play...The Senators lost four of their previous five games coming into Friday night's game.