EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Josh Norris scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal as the Ottawa Senators tallied five times in the third period to rally past the Edmonton Oilers 6-4 on Saturday night.
Alex Formenton and Adan Gaudette each had a goal and an assist, and Artem Zub and Zach Sanford also scored for the Senators, who have won two straight and won their first game this season when trailing after the second period.
“It’s not really how we drew it up, but that’s how hockey goes sometimes,” Norris said of the third-period comeback. “I think it was a lot of fun and the guys enjoyed it. We have to clean some things up, but that’s hockey and it’s how the way the game goes sometimes. We kind of thrived on that and it was great to get the win.”
Gaudette agreed. adding: “It was a lot of fun. Personally it’s been a while since I’ve had that much fun playing hockey. It’s been a tough year and a half or so, so it really feels good to contribute and to help this team win.”
Chris Tierney had two assists and Matt Murray stopped 33 shots.
Zack Kassian, Kailer Yamamoto, Brendan Perlini and Darnell Nurse had goals for the struggling Oilers, who have lost six straight and are 2-10-2 in their last 14 games. Jesse Puljujarvi had two assists and Stuart Skinner had 20 saves.
“That is one we let slip away,” Kassian said. “Everybody is pretty upset. We were pretty frustrated with that one. That’s a tough way to lose. You are up 3-1 going into the third and you lay a stinker. We are a pretty frustrated group. I think the writing is on the wall.”
The Senators tied it when Gaudette and Formenton scored 2 1/2 minutes apart early in the third. Gaudette beat Skinner with a high backhander on a 2-on-1, and Formenton scored on a rebound at 5:07.
Zub picked the top corner with a long shot to give the Senators a 4-3 lead about 5 1/2 minutes later.
However, the Oilers were able to draw even with 7:43 remaining as Nurse scored on a wrist shot.
The Senators took a 5-4 lead with another power-play goal as Norris got his second of the night and team-leading 16th of the season with 3:42 left.
Sanford put the game away with a long seeing-eye empty-netter with 58 seconds to go.
The Oilers were once again guilty of allowing the first goal of the game. Ottawa scored on a power play midway through the first as Norris was left alone in front to send a shot past Skinner with 9:25 left in the period. The Oilers have given up the game’s first goal 22 times in their last 26 games.
Edmonton tied it with a power-play goal of its own with just 48 seconds remaining in the opening period as Leon Draisaitl won a board battle and fed it in front to Kassian, who wired a shot past Murray.
The Oilers made it 2-1 with just under eight minutes left in the middle frame as Yamamoto fought off Erik Brannstrom and slid a backhand shot under Murray while off balance.
The Oilers added to the their lead with 2 1/2 to play in the second as Perlini added some extra weight to Duncan Keith's shot for his third of the season.
UP NEXT
Senators: Host Buffalo on Tuesday night.
Oilers: Host Florida on Thursday night.
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