Ryan Spooner scores twice, Tuukka Rask earns shutout as Bruins blank Senators

Noel Acciari, David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron also scored for Boston. Rask recorded his 40th career shutout and second of the season.

Mike Condon stopped 29 shots for the Senators (12-17-8), who were coming off a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets a night earlier.

The loss leaves Ottawa with a 4-8-2 record in December and it was shut out five times. The Sens are now 4-14-3 in their last 20 games and have been outscored 14-6 in their last three games.

“It needed to stop about a month and a half ago,” said Stone. “We’ve put ourselves in a hole that we’re going to need a fantastic run and we’re going to need some help. We’ve put ourselves in a deep, deep hole and the guys in the locker-room are the only ones who are going to be able to get us out of it.

“It starts at the top. Our best players haven’t been our best players and it’s a trickle down effect.”

The Senators have little explanation for why things have gone sideways this season.

“At this point I don’t really know what to say, it is what it is,” said captain Erik Karlsson. “We’ve got to find a way to build off something and try and get something going for ourselves and we’re doing the best that we can, but as of right now, it’s not working in our favour and we’re not doing ourselves any favours either.”

Boston jumped out to a commanding 4-0 lead in the second by scoring three goals on 13 shots.

Sean Kuraly provided a screen for Acciari, who beat Condon off his backhand for a 2-0 advantage. Just over two minutes later, Ben Harpur, looking to shoot the puck in at the blue line, had his shot picked off by Spooner, who in turn broke in alone and beat Condon through the legs.

Krejci, returning to the lineup after missing six games with an upper-body injury, then picked up a Charlie McAvoy rebound and tucked it in at the side of the net on the power play.

“We took over the game,” said Rask. “Their chances came early and that’s it. We scored more and we always played the same way and that’s great to see. Going ahead that has to continue because that’s going to reward us in the future.”

The Bruins took a 5-0 lead in the opening minutes of the third as Bergeron tipped a Torey Krug shot for their third power-play goal of the game.

The Bruins opened the scoring at 8:13 of the first on the man advantage. After a couple of solid saves by Condon, a rebound popped right out to Spooner.

This marked the last game of 2017 for both teams.

Notes: Ottawa D Fredrik Claesson served his second of a two-game suspension. Boston LW Anders Bjork, C Frank Vatrano and D Paul Postma were healthy scratches.

Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Ryan Spooner scores twice, Tuukka Rask earns shutout as Bruins blank Senators

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