Chara Scores Go-Ahead Goal as Bruins Top Senators

OTTAWA — Zdeno Chara scored the go-ahead goal in the third period as the Boston Bruins beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1 Wednesday night.

The Bruins, winners of their last five, have won 10 straight against the Senators.

Brad Marchand also scored for the Bruins (17-3-5) and Tuukka Rask made 33 saves.

Thomas Chabot scored the lone goal for the Senators (11-13-1). Anders Nilsson stopped 19 shots.

The loss snapped the Senators’ five-game winning streak on home ice.

Ottawa scored the game’s first goal 41 seconds into the third as Chabot took a pass from Chris Tierney at centre and broke past two Bruins to fire a wrist shot far side.

Thomas Chabot Ottawa Senators
Thomas Chabot, Ottawa Senators (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The lead was shot lived as Marchand tied the game less than five minutes later and Chara put the Bruins ahead with his fifth of the season 8:45 into the third.

The game remained scoreless after 40 minutes, but there were chances at both ends.

The Senators outshot the Bruins 9-3 in the first period and 15-7 in the second.

Ottawa has lost back-to-back games after winning three straight. The Senators play the Minnesota Wild on Friday in the first game of a five-game road trip.

Boston, which was coming of an 8-1 win over the Canadiens in Montreal a night earlier, hosts the New York Rangers Friday afternoon.

Notes

The Senators recalled goaltender Marcus Hogberg as Craig Anderson was kept out of the lineup for precautionary reasons. Erik Brannstrom returned to the lineup for the first time since a hand injury Nov. 16. … The Bruins signed Charlie Coyle and Chris Wagner to six- and three-year extensions, respectively. Brendan Gaunce made his debut with the Bruins Wednesday.

Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press