• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Strong third period carries Sens past Jets

Jan 3, 2014 - 6:15 AM Ottawa, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Mika Zibanejad posted a goal and an assist as the Ottawa Senators recorded a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

Milan Michalek, Zack Smith and Clarke MacArthur also had goals for the Senators, who have won four of their last five. Craig Anderson stopped 32 shots in the win.

"I thought it was a competitive game up and down the rink and that's the way I thought it would be," said Ottawa head coach Paul MacLean. "We found a way to win the game and that's what is most important."

Dustin Byfuglien had a goal and an assist for the Jets, who had a three-game winning streak stopped. Evander Kane and Olli Jokinen also scored, with Al Montoya allowing all four goals on 29 shots in the loss.

"This was a tough one because I thought we played them really well," said Kane. "We had our skates out there, just couldn't get that last one in."

With the score tied in the third period, Ottawa took a 3-2 lead at 6:42 when a left circle faceoff win saw the puck thrown back to the point for Marc Methot, who snapped a shot on net that Smith redirected past Montoya.

The Senators gave themselves some breathing room around five minutes later, as a turnover in the Winnipeg end saw Kyle Turris send a pass from the left to the right for MacArthur, who kicked the puck to his stick and snapped it in for a 4-2 lead.

Winnipeg made it a one-goal game with 5:29 showing on the clock, as Byfuglien took the puck at the right circle and circled around to the low boards before firing a pass over to the left, where Jokinen one-timed it in.

Ottawa scored the game's initial goal at 13:34 of the first period. Joe Corvo's shot from the right point was stopped, but Zibanejad eventually knocked in the rebound from the left side for a 1-0 advantage.

Winnipeg, though, tied the game just over two minutes later when Byfuglien threw a shot on net from the right point that hit off a Senator and went in.

The Senators took a 2-1 lead into the first break after Zibanejad's shot from the right boards was kicked out to the front, where Michalek shot it home with 46.4 seconds showing.

Winnipeg scored the only goal of the second period and did it 1:32 in. Jacob Trouba drove down the left wing and to the front of the net before getting a shot off that Anderson stopped. The rebound, though, kicked off the back boards and to the left side where Kane snuck it home.

Game Notes

Ottawa hits the road for its next four games, starting Saturday in Montreal ... Winnipeg plays in Boston on Saturday ... Ottawa has won six of its last eight games against Winnipeg.