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Sans Ryan, Sens come up big against Blackhawks

Mar 29, 2014 - 5:03 AM Ottawa, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Clarke MacArthur totaled a goal and two assists and Craig Anderson won for the first time in almost three weeks, as Ottawa downed Chicago, 5-3, in an inter-conference battle.

Erik Condra, Cody Ceci, Milan Michalek and Kyle Turris also lit the lamp for the Senators, who won for just the second time in their last nine outings. Mark Stone contributed two assists for the hosts, who prevailed in their first game after learning leading goal scorer Bobby Ryan was lost for the season due to injury.

Anderson made his first start since March 10, and came up with 46 saves to turn away one of the best clubs in the Western Conference.

"The bottom line is, we got two points and we found a way to win, and that's all that really matters," said Anderson, who missed time with an upper-body injury. "We played pretty solid, and for the most part we did what it took to get the job done."

Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa and Brent Seabrook scored for the Blackhawks, who could have clinched a playoff berth by picking up a single point. They didn't receive any outside help, either, as Dallas routed Nashville, 7-3.

Antti Raanta surrendered all five scores on 29 shots as Chicago lost for the third time in four games.

"Everyone seems to be a part of the bad habits that are kind of running contagiously through our lineup," noted 'Hawks captain Jonathan Toews.

Turris restored the Sens' two-goal margin on the power play at six minutes even of the third, cleaning up a rebound in front. MacArthur then boosted Ottawa's advantage to 5-2 on his solo effort at 10:54

"I thought we competed better tonight," MacArthur said. "We had a little lapse in the second, but you're playing Chicago, they're going to make a push and we were able to make plays in the third and not clam up. I thought we kept the puck moving ahead and did a better job in the third."

Chicago forward Andrew Shaw was given a minor for roughing and major for spearing and game misconduct with 5:27 to play. Zack Smith's minors for engaging Shaw reduced Ottawa's power play to three minutes, and Anderson accidentally knocked in a Seabrook shot for a two-goal margin with three minutes to play.

Sharp was denied by Anderson on a contested shot up the middle shortly thereafter, and the visitors couldn't mount much of an attack with Raanta unable to reach the bench for an extra skater until the final seconds.

The Sens didn't miss a beat despite the loss of Ryan after sports hernia surgery.

Ottawa opened the scoring just 19 seconds into a MacArthur interference call, as Condra was allowed space up the middle and scored at 9:25. Ceci provided a two-goal margin for the hosts only 30 seconds prior to intermission on his right-point blast.

Michalek made it 3-0 just 23 seconds into the second, but Raanta was not pulled and his teammates fought back on his behalf.

"We had a good first five, 10 minutes of the first period and I don't know what happened after that," Seabrook admitted.

Sharp eventually put the Blackhawks on the board, with his power-play tip of a Toews pass at 10:46 and Hossa made an incredible move around two defenseman and beat Anderson to pull the visitors within 3-2 at 19:19.

Game Notes

Anderson picked up his first win since March 8, a 46-save effort in a 5-3 victory at Winnipeg ... Friday's victory was Paul MacLean's 96th with the Senators, moving him alone into third place on the franchise list ... Blackhawks forward Matt Carey, who jumped from St. Lawrence University after his freshman season, made his NHL debut. He was held without a shot on goal and was a minus-1 in 7:53 of ice time.