Senators lose to Blackhawks as Bedard has three points

OTTAWA — The Chicago Blackhawks closed out their season with a 4-3 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators Tuesday night with Frank Nazar scoring the winner 48 seconds into the extra frame.

The Blackhawks (25-46-11) missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year.

For the second straight game the Senators (44-30-7) rested players in advance of the playoffs with Claude Giroux, Nick Jensen and Jake Sanderson getting the night off. Brady Tkachuk missed his eighth straight game with an upper-body injury.

Thomas Chabot made it 2-2 with a power-play goal at 1:19 of the second, but Connor Bedard regained the lead for Chicago with a power-play goal of his own, and his second of the game. The Blackhawks had three goals on five shots on Anton Forsberg, who made 12 saves.

With Ottawa on the power play, Drake Batherson dug the puck out off the faceoff and wristed a shot past Spencer Knight, who made 34 saves, to make it 3-3.

Chicago jumped out to a 2-0 lead by the 6:13 mark of the first. Bedard scored on the Blackhawks first shot of the game and five minutes later Joseph Veleno stepped across the blue line and fired a shot past Forsberg.

Nick Cousins cut the lead in half beating Knight blocker side.

TAKEAWAYS

Senators: Despite missing four starters, Ottawa's power play was solid going 2-for-3.

Blackhawks: Chicago's younger players stepped up early providing the visitors with an early lead.

KEY MOMENT

With Chicago leading 3-2 early in the second Sam Rinzel made a goal-line save on a bouncing puck.

KEY STAT

With an assist on Ottawa’s second goal, Tim Stutzle set a career-high picking up his 53rd helper of the season.

UP NEXT

Blackhawks: Non-playoff season is over.

Senators: Host the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.