Senators score six, defeat Flames for third straight victory

OTTAWA -- Drake Batherson extended his goal streak to four games for the Ottawa Senators in a 6-1 win against the Calgary Flames at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday.

"We've been playing really well," Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot said. "To get wins, everybody's in a better mood, everybody's happy to come to the rink, everybody gets more confidence."
Colin White scored twice, Chabot had two assists, and Matt Murray made 29 saves for Ottawa (7-14-1), which has won three straight games for the first time this season and is 5-2-0 in its past seven.
"I thought that was Matt Murray's best game this year," Senators coach D.J. Smith said. "He looked really calm back there. Pucks hit him. He was in control. We hung him out to dry in the third period and gave them some Grade A chances that we shouldn't have given, but he made the saves."

Milan Lucic scored for Calgary (9-10-2), which has one win in its past six games (1-4-1) and was coming off a 2-1 overtime loss at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. David Rittich allowed four goals on 20 shots and was replaced by Artyom Zagidulin, who made nine saves in his NHL debut.
"This one's on the players," Lucic said. "We've got to be better."
The Flames and Senators are scheduled to play the second of a three-game set here Saturday.
Batherson scored on the rebound of a Tim Stutzle shot on the rush to give Ottawa a 1-0 lead at 7:45 of the first period.
It was Batherson's fifth goal in six games after he scored one in the first 16 games.

Erik Gudbranson scored with a wrist shot from the high slot through a screen to make it 2-0 at 9:27. It was the defenseman's first goal with the Senators.
"We did a lot of good things," Gudbranson said. "We finished. We scored six goals tonight. That's big, to finish. We'll take those and put them in the bank. It makes everyone feel good."
Lucic beat Murray five-hole with a snap shot from the bottom of the right face-off circle to cut it to 2-1 at 1:41 of the second period.
"I thought we responded well after that goal," Murray said. "We didn't really sit back. We kept going and got a few more goals."
Connor Brown intercepted a pass from Lucic in the Flames zone and scored with a backhand at 4:39 to give the Senators a 3-1 lead.
Erik Brannstrom scored with a slap shot from beyond the blue line to make it 4-1 at 7:24.

Rittich was pulled at the next TV timeout, at 11:47. It was his third start in four nights with No. 1 goalie Jacob Markstrom out because of an upper-body injury.
"It doesn't matter when goals are scored or what's going on, you've got to keep battling," Calgary coach Geoff Ward said. "You've got to find ways to get some traction back in the hockey game."
White scored to make it 5-1 at 4:55 of the third period. He made it 6-1 at 14:46 when he one-timed a backhand pass from Chabot from below the goal line.
NOTES: Batherson has six points (four goals, two assists) in the past four games. … It was Gudbranson's 22nd game for the Senators since the Ottawa native was acquired in a trade from the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 8. ... The Flames have scored eight goals in their past six games. It was the fifth time in the six games they were held to one goal. … Calgary defensemen Rasmus Andersson and Mark Giordano each was minus-4.