Ullmark, Senators shut out Blue Jackets, gain in Atlantic

OTTAWA -- Linus Ullmark made 30 saves for the Ottawa Senators in their second straight shutout win, 4-0 against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday.

“We’ve stressed it a lot from the beginning, you don’t have games or stretches like this without your goalies playing well,” Ottawa coach Travis Green said.

It was Ullmark's fourth shutout of the season for the Senators (42-29-6), who lead the NHL with 10. Anton Forsberg made 40 saves in a 3-0 victory against the Florida Panthers on Saturday.

“Lately, we haven’t done as many immature mistakes,” Ullmark said of the team’s defensive play. “We don’t force plays as much as we did earlier in the season. You know, we take what’s there, and if there’s no play, we chip it out, live to fight another day.”

Nikolas Matinpalo scored his first NHL goal and Thomas Chabot had two assists for the Senators, who have won three straight and moved to within two points of the Florida Panthers for third in the Atlantic Division.

Ottawa is also five points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens for the first wild card in the Eastern Conference.

“I thought we played a pretty complete game,” Green said. “I loved our start, loved how we came out and kind of set the game how we wanted to play, to be honest. Really liked our third period, spent a lot of good time in their zone and played a really good, complete game. And Linus was good in net.”

Elvis Merzlikins made 22 saves in relief for the Blue Jackets (34-33-9), who were shut out for the second straight game following a 5-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. Daniil Tarasov was pulled early in the first period after allowing two goals on six shots.

“You’ve got to be patient, as I’ve said from the start of the season,” Merzlikins said. “We’re not a bad hockey team. I believe in my boys. I know they are trying and they are working their [behinds] off, and sooner or later it’s going to come. I know it didn’t [come], I know they’re frustrated, I see that. It’s just about patience. It’s a team sport. You cannot be an individual. This is the NHL.”

Columbus, which has lost three straight, is eight points behind the Canadiens for the second wild card.

“Clearly, we’re not scoring goals,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said. “So, it just gets magnified when you get down because you’re pressing even harder, and when you’re not having success and you’re not scoring goals and you’re pressing, it’s not a good recipe.”

Ottawa went in front 1-0 at 2:24 of the first period when Adam Gaudette beat Tarasov blocker side with a wrist shot from the top of the slot on the rush. It was Gaudette’s first goal in 24 games.

“I don’t think it’s ‘Tary’s’ fault, obviously,” Columbus defenseman Ivan Provorov said of Tarasov being pulled. “I think the whole team, as a team, we didn’t start on time once again on a back-to-back. Honestly, I don’t really know what our problem is with back-to-backs, but this has been our weakest spot so far of the season.”

Matinpalo tipped Claude Giroux’s shot from the point and then scored on his own rebound at the edge of the crease to make it 2-0 at 4:26.

“I was alone in front of the net, I don’t know why,” Matinpalo laughed. “[The puck was] just bouncing and I just put it in.”

Perron pushed the lead to 3-0 at 4:32 of the third period. While crashing the net, Perron juggled a Drake Batherson rebound with his right skate before batting it in.

Shane Pinto scored into the empty net for the 4-0 final at 19:19.

NOTES: The Senators tied a franchise record for shutouts in a single season (also 10 in 2001-02 and 2016-17). ... The Senators' home shutout streak is at 153:00, the franchise’s longest streak since a run of 154:53 from March 23-April 8, 2017. … Ottawa is an NHL-best 33-6-0 when scoring first.