Jets 1, Senators 0
OTTAWA -- In a battle of the backups, Al Montoya was perfect on Saturday afternoon.
The Winnipeg Jets goalie made 33 saves in a 1-0 shutout of the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place.
Ben Bishop stopped 36 shots in the Ottawa net.
Alexei Ponikarovsky scored on a deflection of a Kyle Wellwood wrist shot at 5:57 of the third period to break a 0-0 deadlock and quiet a crowd of 18,594 that hadn't had much to cheer about all afternoon.
It was the second goal of the season for Ponikarovsky, and it came on the Jets' 33rd shot of the game.
Bishop was making just his second start of the season. He gave up five goals in his only other appearance, a 6-4 loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Montoya entered the contest with a 1-0 record but a frightening .806 save percentage.
Both teams had 12 shots on goal in the first period, but Bishop had the tougher tests. Ottawa's best chance in the opening 20 minutes was a semi-break by Stephane Da Costa. His shot for the top corner deflected wide after hitting the shaft of Montoya's stick.
The Jets outshot the Senators 16-11 in the second period.
Notes: Already without top center Jason Spezza (back surgery) for likely another two months, Senators center Peter Regin left the game in the first period with a chest injury. ... The Senators and Jets entered the day as the league leaders in goals from defensemen. Both blue line groups have produced nine. ... Winnipeg defenseman Toby Enstrom arrived in Ottawa riding a career-high eight-game points scoring streak. ... In two previous career games versus the Senators, Al Montoya was winless with a .847 save percentage. ... Bishop was seeing the Jets for the first time. ... Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien missed his fifth consecutive game with a suspected knee injury. He had the Jets' only goal and six of the their 28 shots the last time these teams met, a season-opening 4-1 Senators victory in Winnipeg. ... Winnipeg, 5-5-1, returns home to face the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday. ... The 6-4-2 Senators wrap up a four-game homestand by hosting the Buffalo Sabres Tuesday.
