Senators Stagger Off the Ice with a Win

Bryan Smolinski was still standing and able to cap Ottawa’s comeback over the New York Islanders.

He scored with 1 minute 46 seconds left in the third period of the injury-filled game to give the Senators a 4-3 win at home Friday night.

Senator captain Daniel Alfredsson scored his 25th goal in the first period before leaving with a rib injury in the second after he was hit by a slap shot.

“It’s one of those things where you just cringe when it’s coming at you,� said Smolinski, who was hit by a shot as well and had an ice pack on his right ankle after the game. “Alfie’s a shorter guy -- if it had been anybody else it might have got him in the pants.�

New York had injury troubles too. The Islanders lost starting goalie Rick DiPietro and defenseman Alexei Zhitnik earlier in the game.

Trailing, 3-1, Ottawa came back on Dany Heatley’s 25th goal late in the second and Peter Schaefer’s tying goal 4:06 into the third.

The Senators, who lead the NHL with 57 points in 36 games, won their fourth in a row.

Edmonton 4, Nashville 2 -- Ryan Smyth scored on a penalty shot and had an assist to help the Oilers beat the Predators at Edmonton, Canada.

Shawn Horcoff, Jason Smith and Jarret Stoll also scored for Edmonton.

Smyth scored his second penalty shot of the season off a backhand-forehand move after Tomas Vokoun’s stick came out of his hand during an earlier rush.

Scott Hartnell and Steve Sullivan scored for Nashville.

Buffalo 4, Atlanta 1 -- Ryan Miller made 34 saves to help lift the Sabres to a win at home over the Thrashers.

Chris Drury had a goal and an assist, and Thomas Vanek, Maxim Afinogenov, and Mike Grier also scored for the Sabres, who have won 18 of their last 22.

Marc Savard scored for Atlanta.

Florida 2, Montreal 1 -- Joe Nieuwendyk scored twice and Roberto Luongo stopped Alex Kovalev’s penalty shot with 2:57 left, preserving the Panthers’ victory over the Canadiens at Sunrise, Fla.

Luongo has not given up a goal in nine penalty shots he has faced in his career.

The Panthers are unbeaten at home in regulation in their last six games (5-0-1), and have 12 of their 15 overall wins on home ice.

Boston 2, Tampa Bay 1 -- Patrice Bergeron scored a tiebreaking, short-handed goal with 11:49 left and Hannu Toivonen made 31 saves to help the Bruins beat the Lightning at Tampa, Fla.

Rob DiMaio scored for Tampa Bay.

Columbus 3, Chicago 2 -- Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev each had a goal and an assist to help the Blue Jackets beat the Blackhawks in Chicago for their third straight win.

Dan Fritsche also scored for Columbus and Marc Denis made 41 saves to help send the Blackhawks to their sixth straight loss and eighth in their last nine games.

Mark Bell and Martin Lapointe scored for Chicago.

San Jose 5, Colorado 2 -- Joe Thornton scored twice and Scott Thornton had a goal at home to help the Sharks end a four-game losing streak.

San Jose’s Nils Ekman recorded a career-high four assists in his first multi-point game of the season.