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Spezza, MacArthur boost Sens against Flyers

spezzaandcogetty

James OBrien

It wasn’t by much - Craig Anderson had to make sure that Sean Couturier’s shootout attempt hit the crossbar, not his net - but the Ottawa Senators were ecstatic to edge the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 (SO) on Monday.

Jason Spezza scored a pretty shootout winner and collected two assists while Clarke MacArthur continued his red-hot play (two goals) to help Ottawa snatch the win.

The Senators lost four of their last five games and only had three wins in their last 11 contests coming into Monday’s game, so this could be a nice confidence booster. They can really get some momentum going, as they have a home-and-home coming up against the Buffalo Sabres.

They’d be wise to finish 2013 off on a high note, too, as the run from Jan. 1 to the 2014 Winter Olympics could be downright brutal.

The Ottawa Citizen’s James Gordon points out that the Senators have fired more shots on goal than they’ve allowed for seven straight games, so perhaps it’s all about turning their goaltending around (Craig Anderson celebrated the win emphatically, for one).

This represents a bit of a stumble for Steve Mason and the Flyers. Philly has lost three of its last four games while Mason has allowed four goals in each of his two consecutive losses. If you want a simple statement to capture how dramatic a rebound season this has been for the 25-year-old, consider this: he hadn’t allowed more than three goals in any contest in 2013-14 until the past two defeats.

On the bright side, the Flyers only have one more away contest left (tomorrow against the mighty Blackhawks) in their six-game road trip. That also concludes a run of eight road games vs. just one home contest.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins