04-04-2019, 05:18 AM
RALEIGH www.officialwild.com , N.C. (AP) — After their worst stretch of the season, the Ottawa Senators are beginning to play some of their best hockey.Bobby Ryan and Mark Stone scored 13 seconds apart in the second period, and the Senators beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 Friday night.Magnus Paajarvi and Christian Wolanin also scored and Cody Ceci had two assists for Ottawa. The Senators have won four of five after an eight-game losing streak that dropped them into last place in the Eastern Conference.“We’re playing a very simple game, which I think is key for a young group,” Stone said. “I think we’re doing a good job. I think early in the season guys were a little flustered maybe. We’ve calmed down a lot and guys are getting in position to make a play.”Anders Nilsson made 33 saves to improve to 4-1 in his last five starts after going 0-10-1 in his previous 11. The improvement of Nilsson and the defense has been the catalyst behind Ottawa’s recent surge.The Senators allowed 37 goals during their eight-game skid, an average of nearly five goals per game. They’re allowing less than two goals per game over their last five contests.“The whole team has been playing great in front of me,” Nilsson said. “We haven’t given up a lot of odd-man rushes, almost no breakaways, no two-on-ones. When the team plays this good as they are in front of me right now, it’s a lot easier to be a goalie.”Ryan and Stone’s goals pushed the Senators’ lead to 3-0 and they held on from there to get their first regulation win in Raleigh since Dec. 2007.Warren Foegele scored for Carolina Minnesota Wild T-Shirts Authentic , which saw it’s five-game home winning streak snapped. Petr Mrazek stopped 22 shots in place of injured starter Curtis McElhinney.“I give them credit, they got to their game right away and we never did,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “It was an easy game for them.“We were so bad I almost dressed and got out there. We didn’t want to play like we’re supposed to. I don’t know what I was watching. It was the first time I could say that all year.”Paajarvi opened the scoring with just under five minutes remaining in a sleepy first period as he batted a rebound out of mid-air mid-air past Mrazek’s right pad.The Senators’ 13-second flurry in the second changed the dynamic of the game.After the Hurricanes repeatedly failed to clear the puck out of their own zone, Ryan sneaked all alone in front of the Carolina net and chipped in Ryan Dzingel’s pass to double Ottawa’s lead.Before Ryan’s goal could even be announced, Stone took a draw won by Chris Tierney at the top of the left faceoff circle and snapped a wrist shot through traffic and over Mrazek’s left shot shoulder into the net.“You get two goals that quickly, you force the other team to start to take chances,” Stone said. “We’ve played from behind. We understand how hard it is.”The Hurricanes got on the board when Foegele intercepted Mark Borowiecki’s clearing attempt toward the corner and redirected the puck off Nilsson’s stick from a short angle, but Wolanin’s goal in the waning minutes of the period gave Ottawa a three-goal advantage heading into the final period.That was more than enough, as Nilsson stopped all 12 shots he faced in the third to finish off the win.NOTES: Nino Niederreiter made his Carolina debut after being acquired in a trade with Minnesota on Thursday. Niederreiter started at left wing and had four shots in 16:30 of ice time. … McElhinney (knee) did not dress for the Hurricanes. He is day-to-day. … Carolina was 16-0-2 in its last 18 home games against Ottawa, with the Senators’ only wins coming via shootout.. Borowiecki suffered a lower body injury in the second period and did not return to the game. There was no immediate update on his status..Stone’s goal gave him his fifth straight season with at least 50 points..The Senators hosted their annual “Dad’s Trip” where the fathers of the players join the team on the road.UP NEXTSenators: At St. Louis on Saturday.Hurricanes: At Edmonton on Sunday. CALGARY Minnesota Wild Hoodies Authentic , Alberta (AP) — Tyler Ennis made a return to his home province a night to remember.Ennis recorded his first career hat trick to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 6-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday night.“I played a lot of games here,” said Ennis, who played four years of junior hockey in Medicine Hat. “Had some rivalries with the (Calgary) Hitmen over the years. I’m familiar with this rink. To get a hat trick in it with my parents watching playing for the Leafs is a real special night for me.”Zach Hyman had two goals for Toronto. Mitch Marner had a goal and two assists, giving him 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in the last four games.Matthew Tkachuk and Derek Ryan scored for Calgary, which has dropped two in a row after a seven-game winning streak. The Flames’ lead atop the Pacific Division remained three points over San Jose.Ennis, who was scratched in Toronto’s previous game, opened the scoring 9:50 into the first on a power play. He got the puck skating through the low slot and sent a backhand shot into the top corner.After scoring again late in the first on a carom, Ennis completed his big night by sending a shot from the side boards that slipped past David Rittich for his 12th goal. The fans littered the ice with over 100 hats.“We’re so lucky to have this fan base. To have that many hats on the ice in an away arena is very special. It was just a great night,” Ennis said.The Leafs moved within one point of second-place Boston in the Atlantic Division.Frederik Andersen made 35 saves and won his fifth straight Minnesota Wild Hats Authentic , improving to 32-13-3.Rittich had 26 stops and slipped to 22-6-5. It was Rittich’s second regulation loss since mid-December. He entered the game 11-1-4 in his last 16 games.Andersen was excellent in the second period, drawing chants of “Freddy, Freddy” from the crowd.“It was pretty special. Another example of how great fans of Toronto are,” Andersen said. “They travel well and come with us on the road, too. It’s pretty cool. It’s always special to have that.”Early in the second, he snapped Mikael Backlund’s shot from close range. Late in the period, he stopped a shot off the stick of Johnny Gaudreau.Andersen’s blocker save off Austin Czarnik on a breakaway preserved the Leafs’ 1-0 lead. Toronto struck twice immediately after.Ennis’ second, making it 2-0 at 17:15, was a fluke as his shot hit the skate of Rasmus Andersson in the slot and tumbled high in the air, eventually going over Rittich’s shoulder and landing in the net.At 18:51 Custom Minnesota Wild Jerseys , Backlund’s giveaway in the offensive zone enabled Marner to race away on a breakaway. Rittich stopped the initial shot, but the rebound went in off Hyman’s skate.Toronto made it 4-0 at 4:11 of the second when Marner neatly set up Hyman’s second goal of the game.Calgary got on the scoreboard late in the second, needing just 10 seconds to convert their first power play of the night. Gaudreau’s wraparound bounced around the crease and crossed the line.“They got a lucky bounce on the second one and chasing the game against them is tough, man. They have a lot of skill over there and they make you pay for little mistakes,” said Calgary captain Mark Giordano.But there’s no panic in the Flames room yet.“We’re still in a good spot. There’s no need to start freaking out or anything, we’re still first in the West,” Tkachuk said. “We’re fine. We just need to go out and take care of business on this road trip.”NOTES: Ennis took the spot of Nic Petan, who scored a goal in his first game after being acquired from the Winnipeg Jets. … Defenseman Oliver Kylington (lower body) returned to the Flames’ lineup after missing three games.Maple Leafs: Continue three-game Western Canada trip in Vancouver on Wednesday.Flames: At Vegas on Wednesday.