By KEN POWTAK Associated Press
BOSTON – Linus Ullmark made 40 saves, Jake DeBrusk had the go-ahead goal and the NHL-best Boston Bruins continued their pursuit of the league’s record for regular-season victories with a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.
David Krejci added a power-play goal for Boston, which won its fourth straight.
Dylan Gambrell scored for the Senators and Mads Sogaard made 33 stops.
The Bruins posted their 54th win and with 12 games left are on pace to break the mark of 62, set by the Detroit Red Wings in 1995-96 and matched by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018-19.
Two of Boston’s wins have come in shootouts. The league introduced shootouts to decide ties after overtime in 2005-06.
Before that, games ended in ties after OT, which was brought in for regular-season games in 1983.
Ullmark improved to 35-5-1.
Chasing the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot, Ottawa has lost six of seven following a season-high, five-game winning streak.
Coming off a 3-2 road trip where they won the last three games by a combined score of 15-2 that included two shutouts by backup Jeremy Swayman, the Bruins converted on a two-man, power-play advantage to tie the game at 1 midway into the opening period when Krejci poked in a rebound from the edge of the crease.
DeBrusk completed a nifty play with Brad Marchand when he collected a pass cutting down the slot at full speed, shifted and tucked a rebound past Sogaard at 15:52 of the first period for his 23rd goal.
Gambrell’s wraparound score gave Ottawa a 1-0 edge.
HEAVY WORKLOAD
Ullmark stopped 22 shots in the second period with at least a dozen of them high-quality chances. During an Ottawa PP, he jumped from a crouch to make a right-shoulder stop on Alex DeBrincat’s bid from in close.
BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Bruins legend and Hall of Famer Bobby Orr turned 75 on Monday.
WOMEN IN SPORTS NIGHT
The Bruins highlighted women who work and compete in the sports community, having Olympic gold medalist and Boston Pride defender Kali Flanagan accompany Bruins players during pregame walk-ins along with local high school scholastic award winners. In addition, in-arena host Michaela Johnson handled the PA for the night and they also left yellow roses at the seats of female reporters.
NOTES: The Senators entered the game as the only team holding an advantage in their series against the Bruins this season, winning twice in three games. … Boston coach Jim Montgomery said after the morning skate that defenseman Derek Forbort would likely be sidelined with a lower-body injury at least through the rest of the regular season. … DeBrusk, playing on the top line most of the season, is four off his career-high goal total, set in 2018-19.
UP NEX
Senators: Host Tampa Bay on Thursday.
Bruins: Host longtime rival Montreal in an Original Six matchup Thursday.
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