OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) - Devin Shore broke a tie with 7:02 left, Mike Smith made 39 saves and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Ottawa Senators 3-1 on Thursday night to sweep the nine-game season series.
“There’s always going to be games when maybe you’re not feeling your best or the other team gets some bounces,” said Smith, who improved to 14-3-2. “To get 18 points against one team is obviously pretty impressive.
“It can get repetitive playing the same team over and over again. Teams find ways to combat your offence and find different ways to try and score goals, but we’re just finding different ways to win.”
Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi, into an empty net, also scored for Edmonton.
“Everyone’s got a role,” Shore said. “When we can help them out on the scoresheet it feels good.”
The Oilers have points in nine of their last 10 games, and moved back within five points of the Toronto Maple Leafs for first in the Canadian-based North Division.
Connor Brown tied a franchise record by scoring in a sixth straight game for Ottawa.
Anton Forsberg stopped 20 shots for the Senators. They have lost three straight and four of their last five in regulation.
“We deserved that game,” Ottawa winger Brady Tkachuk said. “It’s frustrating. We did a lot of great things. We played our best game of the series.”
Ottawa managed to keep Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl mostly in check after the pair combined for eight points in the Oilers’ 4-2 victory over the Senators on Wednesday night.
UP NEXT
Oilers: At Calgary on Saturday night.
Senators: At Toronto on Saturday night.
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