SportsDirect Inc. Ad
SportsDirect Inc. Ad
SportsDirect Inc. Ad
National Hockey League
Calgary 2, Ottawa 1
When: 7:30 PM ET, Friday, March 9, 2018
Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
Referees: Eric Furlatt, Kendrick Nicholson
Linesmen: Shandor Alphonso, Kory Nagy
Attendance: 14498
Sam Bennett and Matt Stajan gave their team much-needed secondary scoring and rookie goalie David Rittich again surrendered only one goal as the Calgary Flames claimed a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Friday night in Ottawa.

Rittich made 29 saves at Canadian Tire Centre to claim his second consecutive win with a strong outing. He stopped 25 of 26 shots in a 5-1 win at Buffalo on Wednesday.

His team provided just enough offense and then hung on for the victory, which pulled the Flames within one point of a playoff spot in the Western Conference standings.

Bennett put the Flames on the board 4:25 into the affair with his second goal in as many outings. Ottawa goalie Mike Condon stopped a long shot from Micheal Ferland, but Bennett pounced on the rebound and fought off a couple of defenders to get a pair of chances before he slipped the puck past the sprawling netminder for his 11th of the season.

What had been a dull, uninspiring game through the first 50 minutes picked up over the final half of the third period.

Stajan finally gave the Flames what became the game-winning goal at 11:42 of the final frame. Curtis Lazar, who the Flames acquired via trade from the Senators at last season's trade deadline, led a rush down the ice before firing a perfect cross-crease pass for Stajan to redirect for a tally that broke a 16-game goal drought.

But Jean-Gabriel Pageau put the Senators on the board with a penalty shot at the 12:55 mark of the period to set up a frantic finish. Pageau was hooked by Dougie Hamilton on a breakaway and converted his one-on-one showdown with a five-hole shot that beat Rittich.

While Rittich was strong in net, he certainly had good fortune on his side. Ottawa's Bobby Ryan rang a shot off the post early in the third period, after which Rittich gave the iron a kiss through his mask, and then Zach Smith also hit a post late in the third period.

Condon stopped 29 shots in an excellent but unrewarded performance. Also, Senators forward Mark Stone saw his 10-game point-scoring streak snapped.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Calgary   Ottawa
Sam Bennett 1 Points Jean-Gabriel Pageau 1
Sam Bennett 1 Goals Jean-Gabriel Pageau 1
Micheal Ferland 1 Assists Jean-Gabriel Pageau 0
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
David Rittich .967 Save Percentage Mike Condon .946
David Rittich 29 Saves Mike Condon 35
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Calgary 37 2 0-2 2-2 4 35
Ottawa 30 1 0-2 2-2 4 28
Upcoming Games
  • Ottawa will play their next game on the road against Florida. The Senators have a W/L % of .348 after a win and .341 after a loss.
  • Calgary will play their next game at home against NY Islanders. The Flames have a W/L % of .529 after a win and .457 after a loss.