Senators top Devils, end three-game slide

OTTAWA -- Mike Condon made 29 saves and Zack Smith had a goal and an assist to help the Ottawa Senators end a three-game losing streak with a 3-1 win against the New Jersey Devils at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.
Derick Brassard and Bobby Ryan scored for the Senators (17-11-3). Defenseman John Moore scored for the Devils (12-12-6), who lost their fifth game in a row. Keith Kinkaid made 28 saves.

Smith was playing in Mike Hoffman's spot with Brassard and Mark Stone because Hoffman was serving the first of a two-game suspension for cross-checking San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture on Wednesday.
WATCH: All Devils vs. Senators highlights
"My game doesn't change, but when you move up with guys like that there is an obligation to put up points," Smith said. "I'm just glad we found a way to contribute. Those two made it real easy to play with them tonight. [Stone]'s stick was going tonight, his takeaways, which create a lot of good chances. Brassard was flying. He was all over the ice tonight."
Smith scored into an empty net with 14 seconds remaining to make it 3-1.
Ryan made it 1-0 at 3:59 of the first period when a shot by Chris Kelly deflected off him and went past Kinkaid. It was Ryan's fifth goal of the season and his second in as many games. It was the 10th time this season the Senators scored the first goal.
Moore tied it 1-1 at 10:50 of the first period when his shot along the ice from the top of the slot found its way through a screen and went between Condon's pads. Devils forward Mike Cammalleri had an assist, the 600th point of his NHL career.
"You'd like to think to get out of something like this, it's not something you can wait or hope for things to happen," Cammalleri said of New Jersey's slump. "You have to be proactive in working on habits and working on things that will allow you to be the team you want and the result chases you."

Goal of the game

Brassard put the Senators ahead 2-1 at 1:14 of the second period when he deflected a shot by Smith past Kinkaid. Smith picked up a loose puck, skated in from the blue line and took a shot from the top of the left circle. Brassard, standing to Kinkaid's right, got his stick on the puck and tipped it into the net.

Save of the game

At 11:20 of the first period, Devils forward Miles Wood stepped around Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson in the neutral zone to set up a 2-on-1 with Adam Henrique. Wood slipped the puck past a diving Ryan to Henrique in the slot, but Condon got across the net to block his shot.

Highlight of the game

With Ottawa killing a penalty to defenseman Mark Borowiecki in the second period, Condon got a piece of a shot by Devils forward Taylor Hall from the slot. The puck wound up hitting the right post, where it was swept away by Senators defenseman Dion Phaneuf.

Unsung performance of the game

Brassard scored the winning goal, but he also got the job done in the defensive zone. When the Devils had Kinkaid on the bench and an extra attacker on the ice to press for the tie, Boucher had Brassard on the ice with about a minute to go. Brassard won a battle with Hall and got the puck out of the Ottawa zone.

They said it

"Missing [Mike Hoffman] in the lineup, we needed some guys to step up. [Zack Smith] played one of his best games I think. I thought he did a great job. He was responsible for that Brassard goal that was tipped. He gives us that breather goal at the end." -- Senators coach Guy Boucher
"They played great in front of me. Clearing out rebounds, blocking out guys. If I see it, I'm going to stop it. There were two unfortunate bounces. The bounces aren't going our way, I guess. We hit the post when it squeaks through Condon. That's the way it goes." -- Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid
"When you hit certain kind of milestones, I just hit 800 games, 600 points, it gives you a moment to reflect. I'm a romanticist when it comes to sport. For me, it makes me think of all the people who support you and all the time you've enjoyed playing this game. It's only a moment really of reflection because you get right back to trying to win a hockey game with your team." -- Devils forward Mike Cammalleri on earning his 600th point

Need to know

With his fighting major in the first period, Senators forward Chris Neil became the 22nd player in NHL history to have 2,500 penalty minutes. … Devils forward PA Parenteau was a scratch for the first time this season. He has no goals in 16 games.

What's next

Devils: At the New York Rangers on Sunday (7:30 p.m. ET; MSG, MSG+ 2, NHL.TV)
Senators: At the New York Islanders on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; Sportsnet, TVA Sports, MSG+, NHL.TV)