Giroux’s Late Goal Lifts Senators Over Penguins, Snaps Pittsburgh’s Six-Game Streak
PITTSBURGH - Claude Giroux’s been around long enough to know when the moment calls for something big. And with just over five minutes left in regulation, he delivered - crashing the net, drawing contact, and still managing to bury the go-ahead goal that lifted the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night at PPG Paints Arena.
The play was chaotic and physical - exactly the kind of moment Giroux has thrived in throughout his career. Driving hard to the crease, he was tripped by Erik Karlsson and slammed into the right post, dislodging the net in the process.
Initially, it looked like the play might be blown dead, but after a video review, it was ruled that the puck had already crossed the goal line before the net came off its moorings. No penalty, no interference - just a gritty, go-ahead goal that stood tall under scrutiny.
Pittsburgh challenged for goalie interference, but the call on the ice held. The Senators had the lead, and the Penguins’ six-game winning streak was suddenly on life support.
Giroux’s goal capped off a strong night for Ottawa, who’ve now won four straight and are outscoring opponents 19-6 during that stretch. Tim Stützle continued his hot hand with a goal and an assist, and Drake Batherson added two helpers. Linus Ullmark wasn’t tested often but did what was asked of him, stopping 14 shots to secure the win.
For the Penguins, this loss had a familiar sting. It’s the second time in just over a month that they’ve seen a six-game win streak come to an abrupt end. And while there were flashes of their usual firepower, they couldn’t sustain momentum - particularly in the second period, where the offense went dark for over 17 minutes without a shot on goal.
Egor Chinakhov opened the scoring for Pittsburgh midway through the first, continuing to make his presence felt since being acquired from Columbus in late December. He took a crisp feed from Evgeni Malkin and snapped home his 10th of the season - his seventh in just 16 games with the Penguins.
But Malkin giveth and Malkin taketh away. Just over a minute into the second period, Michael Amadio jumped on a turnover from the veteran center, stripped the puck clean, and fired a wrist shot from the slot to tie the game 1-1. It was Amadio’s first goal in 24 games, ending a drought that dated back to mid-December.
The Senators took control in the third. Stützle, who’s been on a tear lately, made it 2-1 after following up a Batherson breakaway attempt. Silovs made a sharp glove save on the initial shot, but the rebound kicked right to Stützle, who calmly buried his 26th of the season - and his fourth in his last five games.
Pittsburgh responded quickly. Less than two minutes later, Novak crashed the net and tapped in a rebound off a Ryan Shea shot, tying the game 2-2 and giving the home crowd a jolt of life.
But that set the stage for Giroux’s moment. And when it came, he didn’t miss.
Arturs Silovs finished with 28 saves for Pittsburgh, who will now look to regroup after yet another impressive win streak was halted. For Ottawa, the win keeps their momentum rolling as they continue to climb, playing with the kind of confidence and chemistry that’s hard to ignore.
It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t perfect. But for the Senators, it was another gritty, team-first win - and a reminder that when this group is clicking, they’re a tough out for anyone.