Nazar scores in OT, Blackhawks defeat Senators

OTTAWA -- Frank Nazar scored 48 seconds into overtime for the Chicago Blackhawks in a 4-3 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday.

“He’s been unbelievable, like, how much better he’s getting every game,” Chicago center Connor Bedard said of Nazar. “Just the way he uses his speed, and he thinks the game so well. Guys get pushed back so much when he’s out there. His growth has been remarkable in the last, I’d said, like, 20 games.”

Nazar, who extended his goal streak to three games, one-timed a pass from Bedard blocker side on Anton Forsberg off the rush. Nazar also scored the shootout winner in a 4-3 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.

“I’m just glad we’re winning these games,” Nazar said. “Honestly, it means a lot. I came in last year, I played three games. And our last game, we were up, the other team came back, we lost in overtime, and it was just a hard flight back. Being able to end on a strong note, it just brings a lot of excitement towards the future and towards next year.”

Bedard had two goals and an assist, Joe Veleno scored, and Spencer Knight made 34 saves for the Blackhawks (25-46-11), who are 4-1-1 in their final six games of the season.

“Phenomenal,” Chicago coach Anders Sorensen said of Knight’s performance. “I mean, for two periods it wasn’t even close, right? He kept us in the game. And then we were a little bit better in the third, but for two periods we had no business being in that game without him.”

Thomas Chabot and Drake Batherson each extended his point streak to six games, Dylan Cozens had two assists, and Forsberg made 12 saves for the Senators (44-30-7), who outshot the Blackhawks 37-16.

“I think we outplayed them for most of the game,” Batherson said. “It would’ve been nice to score a few more; we had our looks. But it’s tough, I mean, right now we’re just trying to play as well as we can going into the playoffs and unfortunately we didn’t come out with two points tonight.”

Ottawa will finish as the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference and play the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Atlantic Division champions, in the first round.

"It's going to be a tough matchup,” Senators coach Travis Green said. “It's going to be an exciting matchup, though, I can tell you that. I think we talked about it last week where any team that we play is going to be a tough matchup, that's the way playoffs are. 'Exciting,' is probably downplaying it a little bit. I mean, it's going to be great. For the province, the Battle of Ontario is well known. And we haven't been in the playoffs in a long time. It's going to be exciting."

Bedard gave Chicago a 1-0 lead at 1:28 of the first period when he put a curl-and-drag wrist shot under the crossbar from the top of the right face-off circle off the rush.

Veleno beat Forsberg under his glove with a long wrist shot to make it 2-0 at 6:13.

“It’s good for us to play games in tough circumstances, when you’re tired and whatnot,” Knight said. “Just because when you go into the postseason at some point, it’s a lot of hockey. You’ve got to be able to play and be dependent on when you don’t feel the best.”

Nick Cousins cut it to 2-1 at 6:56. He picked up the puck in the neutral zone, skated in on a breakaway and chipped it over Knight’s blocker for his first goal since returning from a knee injury that caused him to miss 30 games.

“I liked our game,” Ottawa forward Tim Stutzle said. “It felt like we dominated all game and if we keep playing like that, we’re going to win more games than we lose.”

Chabot tied it 2-2 at 1:19 of the second period. He skated in from the point and beat Knight over his blocker with a wrist shot on a power play.

Chabot has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) during his point streak.

Bedard’s second goal put the Blackhawks up 3-2 at 2:24. He beat Forsberg glove side with a wrist shot from the left face-off dot on a power play.

Bedard set an career high in goals with his 23rd of the season.

“Obviously, there was some downs this year that are tough, but to kind of end with a couple of wins, a couple of good games, is nice," Bedard said.

Drake Batherson tied it 3-3 at 15:06 of the second with a wrist shot from the right slot on the power play. He has six points (three goals, three assists) during his point streak.

“I think we had a lot of good looks, and their goalie played a great game,” Cozens said. “If we just keep getting to the inside around the net, we’ll get a few more greasy ones.”

NOTES: Bedard, who has 128 career points (45 goals, 83 assists), moved past Bobby Carpenter for the seventh-most by a teenager through his first 150 NHL games in NHL history. He also recorded his ninth three-point game as a teenager. Only three active players had more: Sidney Crosby (26), Connor McDavid (10) and Patrick Kane (10). ... Stutzle set a career high with his 53rd assist of the season.