Josh Norris scored his first career hat trick as the Ottawa Senators swept a home-and-home series with the Detroit Red Wings with a 5-2 win Sunday in Ottawa.
Norris, who now has 30 goals on the season, also scored in Friday’s 5-2 victory in Detroit.
The Senators honoured late owner Eugene Melnyk before the game. Melnyk, 62, passed away last Monday after a lengthy illness.
Players will wear a commemorative patch with the initials “EM” on their jerseys for the rest of the season.
Artem Zub and Nikita Zaitsev also scored for the Senators (25-37-6), while Anton Forsberg had a solid outing with 30 saves.
WATCH | Norris’ big day leads Senators to victory:
Ottawa Senators Josh Norris scores his first career hat trick to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 5 – 2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings 0:28
Michael Rasmussen and Dylan Larkin scored for the Red Wings (26-34-9), who are mired in a six-game losing streak. Thomas Greiss stopped 31 shots.
Trailing 3-1, Larkin gave the Red Wings some life with a pretty goal off his backhand with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation.
But Detroit failed to capitalize on a number of good chances during a power play in the final minutes of the game. Norris and Zaitsev sealed the win with empty-net goals.
Norris’s 15th power-play goal this season made him the first to reach that mark since Dany Heatley in 2008-09. He scored his second goal even-strength at 14:16 when he jumped on a Nick Holden rebound from the slot.
Tyler Ennis left the game early in the second period and did not return after he was hit by Gustav Lindstrom.
Detroit opened the scoring at 7:21 of the opening period when Rasmussen slipped the puck through Stutzle’s legs and beat Forsberg blocker side.
Zub beat Greiss through the legs to tie the game 1-1 with less than two minutes remaining in the first period.