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Tuesday, Jan. 4 7:30pm ET
Van Allen comes up big for Sens again | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Shaun Van Allen is making game-winning, short-handed goals a habit. Van Allen got his second game-winner in a week, a short-handed goal early in the third period that led the Ottawa Senators over the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 Tuesday night. "It has been nice. I would like it to continue," said Van Allen, who also had a short-handed winning goal last week against Montreal. "I have been shooting a bit lately and it seems like it has been going in. I've had a couple of chances from the left side and they've gone in so I'll keep shooting." Ottawa, winless in its previous 10 games at Carolina, improved to 13-1-3 when leading after two periods and closed within six points of Northeast Division-leading Toronto as the season's halfway point neared. "We feel we have a good club and we want to battle for the top of our division," Ottawa coach Jacques Martin said. "We're a little behind and we've got to make up some ground." Van Allen's fifth goal of the season came 1½ minutes after Carolina's Ron Francis tied the score 1-1 with a power-play goal 23 seconds into the third. But Van Allen was able to break into the Carolina zone two-on-one against defenseman Paul Coffey. He kept the puck and sent it between the legs of Arturs Irbe for Ottawa's third short-handed goal of the season. "He opted for the shot and he has been excellent," Martin said of Van Allen. "He seems to be on a roll." Shawn McEachern broke a scoreless tie with 6:52 left in the second period, scoring on a freak play in front of Irbe. The Carolina goalie stopped the initial shot from the point from Daniel Alfredsson, but coughed up a rebound in the slot. As Irbe lunged to try to stick the puck away, Wade Redden deflected it right off the chest of McEachern and past an out-of-position Irbe. It was McEachern's team-leading 15th of the season and came on the heels of his two goals Monday in a 4-3 overtime loss to New Jersey. Ottawa won despite playing without leading scorer Radek Bonk, who missed the game with the flu. Carolina had a lot of scoring chances in front of Patrick Lalime in the first period, but managed just two shots to match a period-low shot total. "This Ottawa team is one of the best trapping teams in the NHL," said Carolina coach Paul Maurice, whose club has lost eight of its last 11. "They do a great job of taking away the middle of the ice." It was the second straight year Carolina played Ottawa on the night of the NCAA football championship game. Last year's crowd was a paltry 5,655 in Greensboro, N.C. This time, the Hurricanes drew a season-low 7,848 in their new arena. | ALSO SEE NHL Scoreboard Ottawa Clubhouse Carolina Clubhouse RECAPS Atlanta 5 Buffalo 4
Ottawa 2
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