Batherson, Senators defeat Penguins for first win in seven games

OTTAWA -- Drake Batherson had two goals and two assists for the Ottawa Senators in a 6-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.

Filip Gustavsson made 28 saves for the Senators (4-9-1), who won for the first time in seven games.
"It's obviously been too long since the last win," Batherson said. "I thought we did a good job there for most of the game. Obviously, they made a little push there at the end, but [Gustavsson] was awesome and we're fired up to get the win."
Batherson's status for the game was unknown most of the day after he tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to miss the morning skate. A confirmation test came back negative a few hours before puck drop.
"I was super pumped to be back in the room with the guys," Batherson said. "It was definitely not the same game day [routine] as usual, but maybe we'll have to stick to it now."

The Senators have nine players in COVID-19 protocol: forwards Austin Watson, Alex Formenton, Dylan Gambrell and Connor Brown, defensemen Nick Holden, Victor Mete, Nikita Zaitsev and Josh Brown, and goalie Matt Murray.
Evan Rodrigues scored twice, Kasperi Kapanen had a goal and an assist, and Casey DeSmith made 18 saves for the Penguins (5-4-4), who lost in regulation for the first time in five games.
After his first shot was blocked, Zach Sanford picked up the loose puck in the slot and scored with a snap shot to give the Senators a 1-0 lead at 5:21 of the second. Jacob Bernard-Docker got his first NHL point with the primary assist.
Michael Del Zotto's point shot made it through a crowd in front to make it 2-0 at 10:40. Twenty-seven seconds later, Parker Kelly scored into an open net at the edge of the crease to make it 3-0. Lassi Thomson got his first NHL point with the secondary assist.
"I think that second period is unacceptable, and it ultimately lost us the game," Rodrigues said. "Just no jam. We weren't playing heavy, we weren't hanging on to pucks. It got sloppy. It was a little bit of a track meet. It wasn't our type of hockey. That's not how we play."

Tim Stutzle scored with a wrist shot from the left face-off dot on the power play to make it 4-0 at 17:49. It was his first goal in 16 games.
"It was for sure one of my worst games this year," Stutzle said. "But I'm happy about the win and happy about the goal."
Batherson took a cross-ice pass from Tyler Ennis on a break and scored with a backhand deke to make it 5-0 at 9:40 of the third.
Kapanen's wrist shot beat a screened Gustavsson to cut it to 5-1 at 11:49.
Rodrigues' one-timer from the top of the slot went off the right post and in to cut it to 5-2 at 12:55.
"We started scoring goals and feeling good and we had it going real good in the third until they scored," Senators coach D.J. Smith said. "I thought we made some immature plays in front of our net. When you haven't won in a while it's hard to close the game out."

Rodrigues scored his second of the game with a one-timer from the left point, cutting it to 5-3 at 15:57.
"It was a bit of a messy game in a lot of ways," Pittsburgh defenseman Mike Matheson said. "There were some breakdowns in coverage on both sides. I think from our perspective, that definitely wasn't good enough. I think at the same time though, to go into that third period down 4-0 and then have it go 5-0, knowing that we have a game tomorrow night with travel, I think it would have been pretty easy for us to go, 'You know, it's not our night.'"
Batherson scored into an empty net with 48 seconds remaining for the 6-3 final.
NOTES: Senators forward Shane Pinto sustained an upper-body injury in the second period and left the game. Pinto had missed the previous nine games with an upper-body injury. Smith said it "doesn't look good." … Batherson had his second four-point game of the season (three goals, one assist against the Washington Capitals, Oct. 25). He is one of four players in the NHL this season with multiple games of at least four points (Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers, Tyler Bertuzzi of the Detroit Red Wings, Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators).