OTTAWA, Ontario — Claude Giroux secured a pivotal moment in the third period, scoring to break a tie and providing an assist as the Ottawa Senators triumphed over Utah with a score of 3-1 on Sunday night.

Giroux’s goal came at 7:33 into the final period, giving Ottawa a 2-1 advantage. He also played a role in setting up Brady Tkachuk’s goal just over six minutes later. Tim Stutzle contributed assists on both of these crucial scores.

This victory followed Ottawa’s previous night win of 2-1 against Toronto, showcasing the team’s growing momentum.

Ridly Greig initiated scoring for the Senators with a short-handed shot at 7:44 in the second period, only for Clayton Keller to respond just 1 minute and 36 seconds later and tie the game.

Utah’s Karel Vejmelka managed to block 24 shots in goal but faced his team’s second consecutive defeat on their three-game road trip.

In key takeaways from the match, it was noted that Utah failed to capitalize on their power-play opportunities, going 0 for 3, and even allowed a short-handed goal.
For the Senators, it was highlighted that they have struggled recently, going 1 for 14 on power plays over their last five games. Additionally, Josh Norris made a return to the lineup after being sidelined for two games due to an upper-body injury.

A critical moment in the game occurred when Merilainen successfully denied Barrett Hayton on a breakaway, preventing the opposition from taking the lead early in the second period while the game was still scoreless.

In terms of performance, Giroux achieved his first goal in 14 games, while Tkachuk found the net for the first time in 11 outings.

Looking ahead, Utah will host Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, while Ottawa prepares to face off against Washington at home on Thursday night.