OTTAWA — Mike Hoffman won’t soon forget his 100th career goal as it proved to be the winner in the Ottawa Senators‘ 4-3 overtime victory against the Nashville Predators Thursday night.
The goal impressed the home crowd as Hoffman went end-to-end before slipping a shot past Juuse Saros.
"It was good to hit a milestone like that and it makes it even more special when it’s an overtime winner," said Hoffman. "I guess it couldn’t have happened at a better time."
Chris DiDomenico, Max McCormick and Magnus Paajarvi also scored for the Senators (19-25-9) as Craig Anderson made 35 saves for his 15th win of the season.
The Senators have now won four of their last five.
"I think we’ve got guys stepping up," said Anderson. "When someone goes down with an injury another guy can fill that role and take advantage of that time. We’ve got guys coming in and competing and we’re playing pretty well as a team right now."
P.K. Subban scored twice and Calle Jarnkrok picked up his 13th of the season for the Predators (32-12-9). Saros stopped 32 shots.
The single point allowed Nashville to move into a first-place tie with Winnipeg in the Central Division with 73 points apiece, but the Predators were less than impressed to see the extra point slip away.
"We want to be the best team in the league and we had an opportunity to possibly do that and we didn’t get it," said Subban. "It was a good effort to at least get a point out of it, but we have to learn. The last two games we haven’t been able to play a full 60 minutes and we have to learn from that."
Thursday’s game marked the return of Kyle Turris to Ottawa for the first time since being traded to the Predators in November. Turris was given a standing ovation by the 14,632 on hand during a video tribute in the first period.
"It was really nice of the Sens organization to do," said Turris. "The support from the fans, the video they put together that encompasses my six years here. I loved it. It’s a great organization and I was very thankful to be a part of it."
Turris shared a few moments with his former teammates on the ice and admitted it was nice to be able to have some fun with the situation.
Trailing 3-2, the Predators tied the game when Subban ripped a shot past Anderson with under five minutes remaining in regulation.
Trailing 2-1, the Senators scored two second-period goals to take a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes.
McCormick, who was recalled from AHL Belleville Tuesday, tied the game as he cut to the net and rang a shot in off the post. Ottawa took the lead on Paajarvi’s first with the Senators as he beat Saros with a wraparound midway through the period.
"There were so many great storylines in this game from so many players," said Senators coach Guy Boucher. "You can really call this a solid team win."
Senators captain Erik Karlsson moved into sole possession of third place on the franchise’s all-time points list (492) with an assist on Paajarvi’s goal.
Subban opened the scoring 34 seconds into the game as his shot deflected in off Cody Ceci’s skate, but the Senators managed to tie the game on DiDomenico’s second in as many games when he took a pass in the slot and beat Saros with a wrist shot.
The Predators regained the lead on Jarnkrok’s goal.
Notes: Ottawa’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau played his 300th career game. Alex Burrows served his first of a 10-game suspension for his actions against New Jersey’s Taylor Hall. Burrows decided not to appeal the suspension. Ottawa was also without Mark Stone (knee), Derick Brassard (mobility), Bobby Ryan (hand), Nate Thompson (lower body) and Gabriel Dumont (lower body). Nashville’s Filip Forsberg served his third of a three-game suspension for his hit on Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey.
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