Senators 4, Jets 3
OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators equaled a season high with their third victory in a row, defeating the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in front of 18,691 fans at Canadian Centre Thursday night.
The loss snapped the Jets' winning streak at three games.
Center Mika Zibanejad, winger Milan Michalek, center Zack Smith and winger Clarke MacArthur scored for the Senators. The Jets' goals were scored by defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, winger Evander Kane and center Olli Jokinen.
Senators goalie Craig Anderson made 32 saves to pick up his fourth win in a row. He had some help from his posts, as the Jets hit one in each of the three periods.
Jets goalie Al Montoya made 25 saves as his winning streak was stopped at three games.
Smith broke a 2-2 tie with 13:18 left in the third when he deflected a point shot by defenseman Marc Methot.
MacArthur provided some padding less than five minutes later when he accepted a pass from center Kyle Turris and put a nice move on Montoya for his 13th of the season. But the Jets made the finish interesting when Jokinen scored his 10th on a snapshot with 5:30 to play.
Zibanejad netted his second goal in two games at 13:34 of the opening period, swatting the puck into the open side after winger Cory Conacher had it hop over his stick on his attempt.
The Jets tied it a little more than five minutes later when Byfuglien's wrist shot changed directions as it went through a crowd.
Zibanejad's shot from the right wing boards led to a rebound cashed by Michalek as Ottawa regained the lead in the last minute of the first period. But again it didn't take long for the Jets to tie the game, as Kane bounced a shot in from behind the net off Anderson's backside 1:32 into the second period.
The Senators play their next four games on the road, starting Saturday in Montreal, while the Jets visit Boston on Saturday.
NOTES: Senators C Jason Spezza practiced with the team Thursday morning and may return to the lineup Saturday in Montreal. The Ottawa captain has missed the last three games with a hip flexor injury. ... Jets D Dustin Byfuglien, who led all NHL defenseman in shots with 140 heading into the game, scored his eighth goal of the season in the first period. ... Jets LW Evander Kane's second period goal was his fifth in nine games since returning from injury. ... Senators D Patrick Wiercioch, who was coming off what coach Paul MacLean called two good games in a row, was a healthy scratch for the fifth time in the last seven. Joining him was D Eric Gryba, who has now been a healthy scratch 23 times this season. ... The Jets' scratches were D Adam Pardy and RW Eric
O'Dell, an Ottawa native.
