OTTAWA — Nick Paul had his coming out party Sunday night with two goals and an assist as the Ottawa Senators beat the San Jose Sharks 5-2.
Brady Tkachuk had a three-point night as well with a goal and two helpers while Connor Brown and Anthony Duclair also scored for the Senators (3-7-1). Craig Anderson stopped 34 shots.
It’s the first multi-point game in the NHL for the 24-year-old Paul.
Evander Kane and Kevin Labanc scored for the Sharks (4-7-1), who have struggled on their five-game road trip.
San Jose has gone 1-2-1 and will wrap up the trip Tuesday in Boston.
Aaron Dell allowed four goals on 22 shots and was replaced by Martin Jones for the third period. Jones allowed one goal on eight shots.
Duclair gave the Senators a 5-2 lead late in the third as he used his speed to break in and beat Jones off his backhand.
An exciting, fast-paced second saw the Senators take a 4-2 lead after 40 minutes.
Paul scored his second of the game as he rushed to the net and drove home a pass from Brown.
The Sharks managed to make it a one-goal game after Brent Burns found Labanc through the middle and he beat Anderson five-hole, but the Senators regained a two-goal lead in the final minute of the second as Tkachuk jammed home a rebound from in close.
The Senators took a 2-1 first-period lead thanks to some solid work by Paul, who has been playing his best hockey of late.
Ottawa opened the scoring at the six-minute mark when Brown picked up his first goal with the Senators, with Paul getting an assist on the play.
The Sharks tied the game on a two-man advantage as Kane re-directed a great feed from Brent Burns, but the Senators were able to regain the lead when Paul fired a wrist shot to beat Dell stick side.
Erik Karlsson’s return lacked the fanfare from last season when he went to Ottawa for the first time since being traded to the Sharks. Karlsson had a less than stellar outing finishing minus-3.
Bobby Ryan was a healthy scratch as Senators coach D.J. Smith called out the 32-year-old’s lack of production of late.
Ryan is the highest paid player on the Senators roster and has one goal and three assists through 10 games.
Notes
Mikkel Boedker and Cody Goloubef were healthy scratches for the Senators. Jonny Brodzinski, Lukas Radil and Trevor Carrick were healthy scratches for the Sharks.
Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press