PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Vladimir Tarasenko and Claude Giroux scored third-period goals and the Ottawa Senators came back to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3 on Sunday in Shane Pinto’s return to the lineup from a gambling suspension.
Tim Stützle had a pair of goals, including an empty-netter, and Zack MacEwen also scored for Ottawa. Pinto, playing for the first time after a 41-game suspension, had an assist and Mads Sogaard made 22 saves.
“We kept playing our game, stayed composed,” Stützle said. “Great comeback win.”
Egor Zamula had two goals and an assist, and Joel Farabee had a goal and two assists for the Flyers, who lost their second straight after winning five in a row.
Philadelphia played without third-leading scorer Owen Tippett (lower body), who was injured crashing into the boards early in the third period of Saturday’s 7-4 loss to Colorado.
Sam Ersson had 29 saves for the Flyers.
“We did not spend enough time in their end zone," Flyers coach John Tortorella said. "We didn’t generate enough. You let some of their skill play more in your end, it’s a recipe for not a really good game.”
Tarasenko finished a 2-on-1 break with Mathieu Joseph with 4:53 to play to give the Senators a 4-3 lead.
Giroux, who had 900 points in 1,000 games over 15 seasons with Philadelphia, tied it at 3-all 3:19 into the third when he scored on a rebound in front.
“Even after getting behind, we stuck with the game plan,” interim coach Jacques Martin said.
Pinto got an assist on Stützle’s second-period tally. Pinto was suspended by the NHL in October for “activities related to sports wagering.”
Pinto, 23, had 20 goals and 15 assists in 82 games for the Senators last season. The league’s investigation found no evidence that Pinto bet on NHL games and provided few details, and Pinto has not disclosed specifics in recent interviews.
“A long time coming," Pinto said. "Just glad we got the two points. It's just good to be back. Got my first game over with. Now I can just focus on hockey.”
Asked if his return went as planned, Pinto responded, "Yeah, we got the win so that's all that matters."
And regarding any feelings of rustiness on the ice, he said, "I think in the first period I felt a little like 'What was I doing out there?' But as the game went on, I felt good. I've been training a lot, I stayed in shape so I feel good there, it was just the first I felt a little off for a second."
Zamula scored both of his goals in the first period when Philadelphia took a 2-0 lead.
His first tally was a rare power-play goal for Philadelphia, which entered last in the NHL on the man-advantage. Farabee’s shot on goal caromed toward to the opposite side of the ice. Everyone, including officials, appeared to think that Sogaard had the puck.
But it went to Zamula, who fired into an empty net from the side boards. It appeared that a whistle had blown prior to the puck crossing the goal line, but officials allowed the goal to stand after a video review.
“That was one of the weirder goals I've seen in my career,” Farabee said.
The Flyers also dominated the physicality in the first period, with Garnet Hathaway leveling Travis Hamonic with a hard, but clean hit along the boards. Hamonic left later in the game and did not return after just 5:23 of ice time.
The only update from Martin on Hamonic afterward was that it was an upper-body injury.
MacEwen capitalized on Zamula's turnover at the Senators’ blue line and finished a breakaway chance with a hard shot past Ersson’s glove side to pull Ottawa within 2-1 at 4:04 of the second.
After Farabee notched his 17th of the season with 9:10 left in the period, Stützle was credited with the goal after a scramble in front with 8:15 to play in the second. As with Zamula’s first goal, an official’s whistle went off during the play. After a review, it was determined that it was a good goal.
Pinto was the second center on the ice on Sunday, getting his first shift early in the first period.
UP NEXT
Senators: At Montreal on Tuesday night.
Flyers: Host Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.
-- with files from Sportsnet
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