NEW YORK — The Ottawa Senators were having trouble scoring goals — and winning games — the past three weeks. Both issues were solved Friday night against the New York Islanders.
Ryan Dzingel's second goal of the game snapped a tie early in third period and the Senators ended a seven-game losing streak with a wild 6-5 win over the New York Islanders.
"It's good to get a win," Dzingel said. "Right now it doesn't matter how we do it, as long as we do it."
Zack Smith, Bobby Ryan, Thomas Chabot and Mike Hoffman also scored for Ottawa, which was 0-6-1 since sweeping Colorado in two games in Sweden on Nov. 10-11. The Senators had
"We were on the verge of scoring the last three games," Ottawa coach Guy Boucher said. "This was coming."
Craig Anderson allowed five goals on 18 shots before he was pulled midway through the second period. Mike Condon came on for the Senators and stopped all 19 shots he faced, including Jordan Eberle's point-blank attempt in the closing seconds.
"You get that one save and go to work," said Condon, who was mobbed by teammates at the final buzzer. "From there you just stay in the moment. It was a crazy last minute. I'm glad we got away with that one."
Anders Lee had two goals, and Anthony Beauvillier, Andrew Ladd and Jason Chimera also scored for New York, which snapped a four-game winning streak and lost at home in regulation for the first time this season (8-1-2). Thomas Greiss started and was also pulled after giving up five goals on 20 shots. Jaroslav Halak replaced him and finished with 14 saves.
Dzingel, who opened the scoring early in the first, got his eighth of the season 1:38 into the third to put Ottawa ahead 6-5.
The Senators led 3-2 heading into the second period when the game continued its high-scoring and wide-open pace as the teams combined for another five goals.
"Everything was going in. The pucks had eyes," Islanders coach Doug Weight said. "We took the lead back twice but we tried to make it cute. Credit to them. We created a lot of room for them."
Lee tied the score at 3 at 3:01 with his second of game and 15th of the season. Ladd put the Islanders ahead at 4:17 with his seventh.
Chabot scored his first career goal at 8:26 to tie it 4-4 before Chimera answered just 14 seconds later with his first of the season on a breakaway. It was career goal No. 184 for the 38-year-old forward.
At that time, Senators coach Guy Boucher replaced Anderson with Condon.
"It has been tough last seven games so we need to relish and bottle this and feel good," Condon said. "Hopefully we this can catalyze into more momentum."
Hoffman tied it again when he put the puck past Greiss at 11:49, prompting Islanders coach Doug Weight to change goalies.
Dzingel opened the scoring for Ottawa at 8:32 of the first, beating Greiss with a high shot.
Smith made it 2-0 at 9:41 when he corralled a loose puck just inside the blue line and fired a shot past Greiss. The goal ended a 27-game scoreless streak for Smith dating back to last March.
Matt Duchene, who was acquired from Colorado in a three-team trade the last time he was in Brooklyn with the Avalanche on Nov. 5, registered his first assist with the Senators on Smith's goal.
The Islanders cut the early deficit in half when Beauvillier converted Chimera's pass from behind the net past Anderson at 12:13
Lee knotted the score at 14:27 when he banged a rebound past Anderson on the power-play. Josh Bailey and Nick Leddy assisted.
Ryan put the visitors ahead 3-2 when the puck hit his skate after teammate Dion Phaneuf slid it across the crease and found its way in between Greiss' skate and the post. The goal at 18:55 was Ryan's first in 16 games this season.
Ottawa outshot New York 11-9 in the high-scoring opening period while the Islanders had a 16-14 advantage in the second and 12-10 in the third.
NOTES: The Islanders were without injured F Casey Cizikas for the second-straight game. ... The Islanders also scratched D Thomas Hickey and D Scott Mayfield. ... With an assist on Lee's second goal, Islanders captain John Tavares tied Pat LaFontaine for sixth on the Islanders' all-time points list with 566. ... Dzingel is now third on the Senators in goals with eight behind Mark Stone (14) and Hoffman (9).
UP NEXT
Senators: At Winnipeg on Sunday.
Islanders: At Florida on Monday.
Allan Kreda, The Associated Press