Senators win 6th in a row, return to playoffs with 4-3 shootout win over Hurricanes

Senators clinch playoff spot with shootout win

OTTAWA — Alex Kovalev and Jason Spezza scored in a shootout to cap Ottawa’s dramatic 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night that ensured the Senators’ return to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Erik Karlsson scored his second goal of the game with 7.7 seconds remaining in regulation to draw the Senators even at 3.

Spezza picked up his third assist of the game on the play, winning a faceoff in the Hurricanes’ zone and drawing the puck back to Karlsson, whose drive from the point went in off Manny Legace’s glove.

The tie through regulation assured Ottawa of at least one standings point, which clinched the playoff spot. Ottawa failed to qualify last season, ending a streak of 11 straight postseason appearances.

Brian Elliott made 28 saves, and Anton Volchenkov also scored for Ottawa, which won its sixth in a row. Peter Regin had two assists for the Senators, fifth in the Eastern Conference with 91 points.

Brandon Sutter scored his 21st goal 7:04 into the third to give Carolina a 3-2 lead. Sutter scored for the second game in a row when his centering pass caromed past Brian Elliott and into the net.

Jamie McBain and Chad LaRose scored in the second, and Legace made 32 saves for Carolina.

Volchenkov put Ottawa up 1-0 with 11.9 seconds left in the first. The Russian defenseman stepped up to the slot and one-timed Spezza’s centering pass from behind the net past Legace for his fourth goal.

McBain scored his third goal 5:44 into the second to tie it at 1. LaRose put Carolina up 2-1 with his eighth goal at 15:30.

Karlsson drew Ottawa even at 2 when he scored his first goal of the game 1:49 into the third.

Bobby Butler made his NHL debut for Ottawa. Butler, a Hobey Baker Award finalist, signed with the Senators as an undrafted college free agent Monday, two days after concluding his NCAA career at New Hampshire.

NOTES: Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson ended an eight-game point streak in his 998th regular-season game. Alfredsson, who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie-of-the-year in 1995-96, is Ottawa’s career leader in games, goals (375), assists (614), and points (989). … Butler had 29 goals and 53 points in 39 games for New Hampshire this season.