A commitment to defence has been a central theme for the Senators, not just Tkachuk, under new head coach Travis Green. The Senators have the sixth-best goals-against rate in the league, a 180-degree turn from the fifth-worst in the league last season.

Former Ottawa Senator Joonas Korppisalo pitched a shutout against his old team and the Bruins won 2-0 t the Garden.

Joonas Korpisalo made 29 saves against his former team, David Pastrnak set up Morgan Geekie's goal and added an empty-netter and the Boston Bruins beat the Ottawa Senators 2-0 on Thursday night.

The two teams met over the weekend when the Bruins lost the lead in the final minutes of regulation and then the game in a shootout.

Tim Stutzle scored in the shootout to lift the Ottawa Senators to a 6-5 win over the Boston Bruins. Leevi Merilainen, who made 23 saves in regulation and overtime, turned away all three Bruins skaters in the tiebreaker.

Morgan Geekie scored the game-winning goal and Joonas Korpisalo recorded a 29-save shutout as the Boston Bruins beat the visiting Ottawa ... making back-to-back stops on Brady Tkachuk from close range with about eight minutes remaining.

The Boston Bruins have little time to dwell on negatives. A night after the Bruins' season of ups and downs continued with a 5-1 road loss to the New Jersey Devils, Boston returns to home ice for a Thursday night matchup against the Atlantic Division rival Ottawa Senators.

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At 5-on-5, the Bruins have allowed shot attempts at a higher rate than every team in the league since the calendar flipped. Only the Chicago Blackhawks, who find themselves in the basement of the NHL, have conceded more shots on target during that span. The Bruins have struggled mightily to limit shots.

Tim Stützle scored the lone goal in the shootout Saturday to give Ottawa a 6-5 win over the Bruins in a matinee that had the feel, intensity, and nastiness of a playoff game. Stützle’s backbreaker capped a furious comeback by the Senators, who trailed, 5-3, with less than four minutes remaining.

BOSTON – It may only be mid-January ... Tim Stutzle paces Ottawa with 43 points (14 goals, 29 assists) in 44 games, while Brady Tkachuk (38 points) leads the club with 18 goals. Drake Batherson (14-25—39), Claude Giroux (9-19—28), and Josh Norris ...

Boston had opened a 5-3 lead on Vinni Lettieri's first goal of the season 11:23 into the third period. Jeremy Swayman made 39 saves for the Bruins. Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) and Boston ...