The Senators are now four points closer to the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, altering Ottawa’s trade-deadline leverage and tightening the playoff race for GM Steve Staios and the roster. 3: 00 p. m. ET Friday — that margin followed a 4-1 nhl score victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night at the Saddledome.
Immediate boost: Nhl Score 4-1 moves Senators within four points of wild-card
Ottawa’s win drew the club to within four points of the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference with 21 games left, a shift that changes how the next week is framed for the front office. The Senators limited Calgary to only 20 shots, and the out-of-town scoreboard helped: the Boston Bruins dropped a 6-3 decision to the Nashville Predators while the Columbus Jackets moved to within a point of Boston, creating a narrow window for Ottawa to close the gap.
Cozens, Stutzle and Ullmark extend Senators’ momentum
The 4-1 nhl score was driven by Dylan Cozens’s third-period winner, a power-play strike at 6: 33 of the third that broke a 1-1 tie and marked his 22nd goal of the season, five of which have come in his last three games. Tim Stutzle sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal that extended his point streak to 11 games (seven goals, eight assists) and left him leading the club with 66 points (29 goals, 37 assists). Goaltender Linus Ullmark rebounded after yielding a first-period goal to Martin Pospisil, finishing with 19 saves; Ullmark enters the stretch 8-0-3 in his last 11 decisions and has not lost in regulation since Dec. 9. Lars Eller supplied the game-tying goal in the second period, his third of the season and first in 35 games.
Steve Staios faces trade-deadline decision before 3: 00 p. m. ET Friday
The win gives president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios reason to reassess roster moves ahead of the 3: 00 p. m. ET Friday trade deadline, a moment the organization has flagged as pivotal. Earlier the same day Staios added 29-year-old forward Warren Foegele in a trade from the Los Angeles Kings; Foegele was expected to join the Senators ahead of their game Saturday night in Seattle, signaling Staios is already acting to bolster the club for the final stretch.
Closing: The next confirmed milestone is the trade deadline at 3: 00 p. m. ET Friday. If Staios makes additional additions before that deadline, Ottawa’s standing could shift again before Saturday’s game in Seattle.
