Ottawa routs Utah 4-0 for 1st road win of the season

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Anton Forsberg made 31 saves, Drake Batherson scored his third goal in two games and the Ottawa Senators won their first road game of the season, 4-0 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday night.

Batherson, Claude Giroux, Ridly Greig and Brady Tkachuk all scored in the first period as the Senators earned their first road shutout since 2021. It was Utah's first home loss.

Utah's Connor Ingram had five first-period saves before he was replaced in net by Karel Vejmelka, who made 14 stops.

Batherson and Giroux scored less than 90 seconds apart for a 2-0 lead. Both were assisted by Nick Jensen.

Greig added an unassisted while on the power play. Tkachuk snapped the puck around Ingram’s side to put the Senators up 4-0.

Senators: Tough defense and efficient offense allowed Ottawa to punish a porous Utah defense prone to breakdowns.

Utah: Capitalizing on scoring chances ended up being a huge problem. Utah attacked relentlessly and outshot Ottawa 31-22 but still came away empty-handed.

After Ottawa generated a single shot on goal through the first 11 minutes, Batherson and Giroux scored four-on-four goals to help the Senators seize control.

Utah had gone 8 for 8 on the penalty kill over its last two games before allowing Greig’s power- play goal. Ottawa is 9 for 22 on power plays this season after going 1 for 1 on Tuesday night.

Ottawa continues a three-game road trip at Vegas on Friday night while Utah hosts Colorado on Thursday night.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Utah Hockey Club forward Clayton Keller (9) moves the puck against Ottawa Senators forward Noah Gregor (73) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday Oct 22, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Utah Hockey Club defensemen Mikhail Sergachev (98) moves the puck during the second period against the Ottawa Senators at an NHL hockey game, Tuesday Oct 22, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Utah Hockey Club forward Alexander Kerfoot (15) warms up prior to the game against Ottawa Senators during an NHL hockey game, Tuesday Oct 22, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Utah Hockey Club Ottawa Senators forward Michael Amadio (22) fights for the puck against Utah Hockey Club Alexander Kerfoot (15) in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday Oct 22, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Ottawa Senators defensemen Thomas Chabot (72) shoots the puck against Utah Hockey Club forward Alexander Kerfoot (15) in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday Oct 22, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Ottawa Senators defensemen Thomas Chabot (72) moves the puck during the second period against the Utah Hockey Club at an NHL hockey game, Tuesday Oct 22, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

Ottawa Senators celebrate after forward Ridly Greig (71) scores against the Utah Hockey Club in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday Oct 22, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Juuse Saros made 33 saves and the Nashville Predators ended their season-opening five-game losing streak with a 4-0 victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.

Ryan O’Reilly and Luke Evangelista had a goal and an assist each while Tommy Novak and Gustav Nyquist also scored for the Predators, who entered the game as the only team in the NHL without points in the standings.

The shutout was the 25th of Saros’ career.

Jeremy Swayman made 38 saves for Boston.

O’Reilly scored the game’s first goal with 2:44 remaining in the opening period. With the Predators on a power play, Roman Josi fired a slap shot from above the right faceoff circle and O’Reilly tipped it past Swayman on the short side.

Bruins: Following three offseason surgeries, Boston captain Brad Marchand has yet to score a goal this season in seven games.

Predators: After an offseason marked by several high-profile free agent signings meant to bolster a team that hasn’t advanced out of the first round of the playoffs since 2018, Nashville’s revamped roster had not developed any early-season chemistry as evidenced by their 0-5 start.

Just two seconds after a double minor high-sticking penalty to Boston’s Charlie McAvoy expired and Nashville clinging to a 1-0 lead, Novak buried a chance from just outside the crease off of an Evangelista pass to make the game 2-0 before McAvoy could exit the penalty box and rejoin the play.

In his only two previous starts in Nashville, Swayman posted shutouts, stopping all 70 combined shots he’d faced in those games. O’Reilly’s late first-period goal ended Swayman’s Bridgestone Arena shutout streak at 136:34.

The Bruins host the Dallas Stars on Thursday night to start a three-game homestand. The Predators travel to Chicago on Friday to face the Blackhawks.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) defends the goal against Nashville Predators center Mark Jankowski (17) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Nashville Predators center Tommy Novak (82) scores a goal past Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) and center John Beecher (19) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) battles Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo (25) for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm (27) and Nashville Predators center Jonathan Marchessault (81) vie for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Nashville Predators defenseman Alexandre Carrier (45) shoots the puck past Boston Bruins center Matthew Poitras (51) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Nashville Predators center Tommy Novak (82) celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) blocks a shot on goal by Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)