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WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Rookie Andrew Hammond made 35 saves, and Kyle Turris had a goal and assist as the Ottawa Senators beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 on Wednesday night.
Bobby Ryan and Erik Condra also scored for Ottawa (28-23-11), which came off a 3-2 shootout loss on Tuesday at Minnesota.
The Senators are 6-0-1 in their last seven games. With 67 points, Ottawa is four points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Michael Frolik netted the only goal against Hammond, scoring early in the third period after the Senators built a 3-0 lead.
Hammond, 6-0-1 since his first start on Feb. 18, started his seventh straight game because Craig Anderson is still sidelined because of a hand injury.
A knee-jerk reaction
NEW YORK — New York Islanders forward Matt Martin was suspended for one game by the NHL on Wednesday for kneeing Dallas Stars defenseman Trevor Daley.
Martin, who was given a major penalty and was ejected from Tuesday night’s 3-2 overtime loss at Dallas, struck Daley just 1:48 into the game.
Martin, one of the NHL’s hardest hitters, will sit out when New York visits Nashville on Thursday night and will forfeit $5,376.34 in salary that will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
He has eight goals and 14 points while playing in New York’s first 65 games this season.
Former WBS Penguins Bortuzzo singing the Blues
The St. Louis Blues welcomed their three newest additions at Wednesday’s practice.
Defenseman Zybnek Michalek, who is recovering from a concussion, didn’t skate, but defenseman Robert Bortuzzo and forward Olli Jokinen were on the ice with the team.
“It’s good to have them here,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. “I’m sure the last 48 hours has been hard for them, but it’s nice to see Bortuzzo and Jokinen at practice. Obviously they look like they’ve got size. … Both are real good team players.
“Michalek is riding the bike now, so that’s a good sign. He’s on the mend, so we’re pretty excited. We want to get playing again. We feel like we’ve had a long break here. Two days off this time of year feels like forever. We had a great practice today and hopefully we can take it into Philly.”
The Blues returned to St. Louis after Sunday’s 6-5 shootout loss in Vancouver. They were off Monday and Tuesday, and after Wednesday’s practice, the team will resume its five-game trip Thursday in Philadelphia.
Bortuzzo, an all-star during his time with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins before being promoted to Pittsburgh two yerars ago, is expected to be in the lineup after being welcomed by his new teammates on Wednesday. He was glad to have a full practice with the club before playing.
“I think that’s huge,” Bortuzzo said. “I got to bounce a couple of questions off the veteran guys here, like (Barret Jackman) and (Jay Bouwmeester), a couple questions for the coaches. So to get that whole practice was nice.”
Bortuzzo was paired with Jackman, who quickly took notice of the size of the 6-foot-4, 215-pound blueliner.
“He’s tall,” Jackman said. “It was good. He skates well for a big man. It’s going to take a lot of communication, but he plays a simple game. He’s coming into a new system, but we’ll take him through a few things. Heard nothing but good things about him.”
Jokinen (6-3, 215) joins the Blues, his 10th NHL team, after starting the season in Nashville and then spending the past couple of weeks in Toronto after being traded from the Predators. He is not expected to be in the lineup against the Flyers.