Zetterlund's 10th goal of the season late in the 3rd period gives Senators a 4-3 win over Capitals
Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson (48) watches the puck leave his net on a goal scored by Ottawa Senators' Ridly Grieg (71) during second period NHL hockey action on New Year's Day in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. Credit: AP/Spencer Colby
OTTAWA, Ontario — Fabian Zetterlund scored with less that two-and-a-half minutes remaining to give the Ottawa Senators a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday.
Zetterlund's 10th goal of the season came less than two minutes after Washington’s Aliaksei Protas tied the game at 3-all.
David Perron, Ridly Greig and Nick Jensen also scored for Ottawa. Leevi Merilainen made 26 saves and helped Ottawa snap a three-game skid.
The Capitals (21-15-5), playing the second game of a back-to-back, had jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome. Logan Thompson made 28 saves.
After Merilainen stopped a flurry of shots from in close Wilson jumped on a loose puck for his team-leading 22nd of the season, giving the Capitals a 1-0 lead.
Strome made it 2-0, taking a Ryan Leonard pass and wristing a long shot through traffic to beat a screened Merilainen.
Jensen cut the lead in half by scoring on a rebound of a shot by Jake Sanderson at 7:42 of the second.
Ottawa Senators' Stephen Halliday (83) fights for control of the puck in front of Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson (48) during second period NHL hockey action on New Year's Day in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. Credit: AP/Spencer Colby
Batherson had a wide-open net late in the second period, but his shot hit the post. Greig tied it with 28.8 seconds left in the period when he deflected a shot that Thompson inadvertently pushed across the goal line.
Ottawa (19-15-5) took its first lead 2:47 into the third on a goal from Perron.
Jake Sanderson recorded his 20th assist of the season and became the first defenseman in Senators’ history to reach the mark in each of his first four seasons.
Up next
Senators: Host the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
Washington Capitals' Tom Wilson (43) celebrates his goal on Ottawa Senators goalie Leevi Merilainen (1) during first period NHL hockey action on New Year's Day in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. Credit: AP/Spencer Colby
Capitals: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
