Ryan Nugent-Hopkins two goals lead Edmonton Oilers past Ottawa Senators 3-1

OTTAWA – Ryan-Nugent Hopkins scored twice, including once into an empty net, for the Edmonton Oilers in their 3-1 Saturday matinee win over the Ottawa Senators.

Jordan Eberle also scored and Devan Dubnyk made 35 saves for the Oilers (2-6-1), who halted a five-game losing streak.

Chris Neil had the only goal for the Senators (3-3-2) and Robin Lehner made 18 saves in just his second start of the season.

An extended power play early in the third period failed to provide the Oilers with any insurance while Ottawa failed to capitalize on any momentum brought about by killing off a five-on-three disadvantage for a full two minutes.

Senators forward Milan Michalek was called for goaltender interference when he ran into Dubnyk and teammate Jared Cowen was given an interference penalty as the play continued down into Ottawa’s end.

The Oilers generated only one good scoring opportunity on the ensuing power play as they looked to build on a 2-0 advantage.

After the Senators killed off both penalties they were quickly given a power play of their own as Ladislav Smid was called for hooking, but they too were unable to create anything offensively.

Ottawa finally did get on the scoreboard as Neil was credited with his first goal of the season on a shot that looked more like a missed popup than a hockey play.

Neil batted the puck out of midair and it seemed as though Dubnyk tried to catch the puck as it came down, but instead it landed in behind him and then went in.

All the scoring to that point had come in the first half of the first period as the Oilers built a 2-0 lead.

Edmonton scored on its first shot of the game after the Senators turned the puck over in the offensive zone. Eberle made a nifty to move to get around Senators’ captain Jason Spezza and beat Lehner between the legs just 2:15 into the game.

A little more than eight minutes later the Oilers struck again, this time after Lehner made a stop but was unable to control the rebound, which went directly to Nugent-Hopkins and then to the back of the net from a sharp angle.

Notes: Oilers defenceman Denis Grebeshkov made his season debut after missing the first eight games with a groin injury…Jesse Joensuu, Nick Schultz and Ryan Jones were scratches for the Oilers while Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Joe Corvo were scratches for the Senators…The Oilers had lost 39-man games to injury going into the game, compared with just two for the Senators.