Norris breaks tie in third, helps Senators defeat Flyers

OTTAWA -- Josh Norris scored his 25th goal of the season for the Ottawa Senators in a 3-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Canadian Tire Centre on Friday.

"You're hoping he shoots every time," Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said. "I kind of said to him in the third period, 'I need three shots out of you in this period.' I don't know what he got in the third [three shots on goal], but he started skating and I double-shifted him a bit. I thought he was real good."
Norris broke a 1-1 tie on the power play at 9:16 of the third period when his one-timer from the top of the right face-off circle went top left.
"I guess I just like that area of the ice and for some reason pucks just seem to go in," Norris said. "My job's easy. The guys just slide me the puck and I shoot it and hope it goes in. And lately it's been going in, so it's a good feeling."

Norris is tied for fifth in the NHL with 12 power-play goals and has seven goals in his past eight games.
Tim Stützle scored, Connor Brown had two assists, and Anton Forsberg made 28 saves for the Senators (22-34-5), who ended a three-game losing streak.
Cam Atkinson scored, and Martin Jones made 33 saves for the Flyers (19-31-11), who have lost 12 straight road games (0-10-2).
"He played great for us," Atkinson said of Jones. "Their first couple goals were absolute snipes. He kept us in the game all night and [gave] us a chance to win. That's what you need out of our goalies, and they've certainly been doing that for us as of late."
Flyers captain Claude Giroux was a healthy scratch amid multiple reports he could be traded before the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline on Monday at 3 p.m. ET.
Philadelphia coach Mike Yeo said he noticed Giroux's absence on the power play and during 4-on-4 situations.
"And now some other people get some opportunities," Yeo said. "I'm not going to blame [the loss] on that by any means. It's something that people are going to have to figure out. They're going to have to embrace it. The bottom line is, if you're a gamer, you want those situations, you want those minutes, you want those opportunities."
Ottawa forward Nicholas Paul, who has also been the subject of trade rumors, was a late scratch.
"Real hard," Smith said of telling Paul he wasn't in the lineup. "Nick's obviously a guy that everyone loves and who is a huge part of the group in there. It's part of the business and it's an unfortunate one. It happens all around the league."
Stutzle gave the Senators a 1-0 lead at 10:45 of the first period when he picked the top left corner with a wrist shot from the left face-off dot. The forward has scored nine points (two goals, seven assists) in his past eight games.
"He was flying" Smith said. "He was dangerous, he checked, he worked away from the puck. I mean, that line was dangerous all night, and led by him. He had all kinds of chances. I always wish he'd shoot more because I don't think he believes how good he can shoot it."

Atkinson tied it 1-1 at 6:10 of the second period when he tipped a Justin Braun point shot. Atkinson wore an 'A' on his sweater in Giroux's absence.
"There's definitely a void when your captain's not there," Atkinson said. "But I thought the guys did a great job, especially on the bench communicating and just staying positive, like when our guy [blocked a] shot or made a play to win their 1-on-1 battle. I think we need more of that, and certainly some guys were doing that. Definitely more of that going forward."
Forsberg made seven saves in the final 3:20 of the game.
"What are you going to say about [Forsberg]?" Stutzle said. "He was unbelievable again and he helped us win the game in the last couple of minutes. It was a great team effort."
Alex Formenton scored shorthanded into an empty net at 17:22 for the 3-1 final. Formenton tied the NHL lead with his fourth shorthanded goal of the season.
NOTES:The Senators scored the opening goal for the sixth straight game. … With his 26th and 27th assist of the season, Brown matched his NHL career high (2019-20). … Ottawa plays at the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday after finishing 2-3-0 on its homestand.