Flyers 0 - 4 Senators
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  for this game

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Nov 20, 2015 - 8:24 PM The Senators finally had the kind of game they wanted at home. The Philadelphia Flyers hope their home form won't carry into Ottawa for Saturday night's game.

Erik Karlsson had two goals and an assist and Craig Anderson made 25 saves for his 30th career shutout as Ottawa (9-5-5) beat Columbus 3-0 on Thursday, recording its second regulation win in 11 home games. It was the Senators' first shutout of the season and first time they held an opponent under two goals at home.

"We did what we had to do to win the game," said Karlsson, who has nine points in a five-game point streak. "We got a few lucky bounces and that's what you need sometimes and I think everybody contributed and I think it started with the third and fourth lines."

Karlsson, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, has scored all five of his goals in the last five games after failing to net any in his first 14. He leads the team with 16 assists and 21 points.

He hasn't fared well against Philadelphia, failing to register a point in last season's three meetings and not scoring a goal in the previous eight. Karlsson has two goals and nine assists in 17 career games versus the Flyers.

Anderson, meanwhile, will start again after his defense that allows a league-high 34.2 shots per game limited Columbus to 25 - matching an opponent's season low.

"Any time you know you're giving up six, eight shots a period you know you're playing the right way," Anderson said. You know you're playing hard, you know you're playing well and that's a credit to the 18 skaters in front of me."

The netminder lost his only game against the Flyers last season, turning aside 33 shots before losing 2-1 in a five-round shootout, but is 5-2-2 in 10 appearances versus Philadelphia playing for Ottawa.

Anderson now faces a Flyers team which is scoring a league-worst 1.79 goals per game, including only eight during a six-game home losing streak. However, Philadelphia has scored three in each of its last two road games and won both.

The Flyers (6-8-5) have gotten a point in three straight games overall but have dropped their last two after a 1-0 overtime defeat to San Jose on Thursday.

Coach Dave Hakstol took solace in the team's attacking play - Philadelphia outshot the Sharks 28-11 after the first period - and a penalty kill that was successful four times in as many chances.

"I think we put together another pretty complete performance out there again," he said. "We were the better team I thought for the last 40, 44 minutes of this hockey game. I thought we were a little bit quicker and did things pretty well during that time frame, so I'm going to take that and keep building."

Philadelphia's power play, however, continues to be a sore spot, converting 14.3 percent of its chances to rank near the bottom of the league. The Flyers' eight goals with the man advantage are tied for the NHL low.

"We have to find a way to be better," forward Jakub Voracek told the league's official website. "If we would know then we would work on it. I can't tell you why we're not scoring goals. If we knew, we'd do something different.

Voracek has failed to build on his career-best 81-point campaign last season, totaling one goal and eight assists through 19 games.

The Senators got a point in all three games last season as the teams traded shootout victories before Ottawa won 3-1 on April 11 as Mark Stone had two goals.






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