Ottawa forward Austin Watson was suspended for two games by the NHL on Sunday as punishment for a high and late hit against Bruins defenseman Jack Ahcan on Saturday. Karl B DeBlaker/Associated Press
OTTAWA, Ontario — Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson has been suspended two games for a hit on Boston’s Jack Ahcan.
The NHL announced the suspension on Sunday.
Watson leveled Ahcan along the end boards midway through the first period of Ottawa’s 2-0 loss to the Bruins on Saturday. He was given a two-minute minor penalty for interference.
The league’s department of player safety added the two-game ban after reviewing the play and determining the hit was high and late, and that Watson made “significant contact” with Ahcan’s head.
Watson will forfeit $15,000 in salary, with the money going to the players’ emergency fund.
SUNDAY’S GAMES
SENATORS 4, CAPITALS 1: Brady Tkachuk scored his team-leading 15th goal and added an assist, Connor Brown also had a goal and an assist and visiting Ottawa ended a 10-game losing streak against Washington.
Alex Formenton and Adam Gaudette added early goals as the Senators jumped to a 2-0 lead after the first period. Chris Tierney had two assists, and Anton Forsberg made 33 saves in Ottawa’s first victory in Washington since Jan. 21, 2014, snapping a streak of nine consecutive road losses.
Nicklas Backstrom scored in the second period for the Capitals, who have lost five straight in regulation at home and 11 of 17 overall.
SABRES 5, CANADIENS 3: Jeff Skinner scored four goals in a game for the first time in his career, and Buffalo won at Montreal to snap a three-game winless streak.
Tage Thompson also scored for Buffalo – his fourth goal of the season against the Habs.
Mike Hoffman, Jeff Petry and Joel Armia scored for NHL-worst Montreal, which lost its third straight since firing coach Dominique Ducharme and naming Martin St. Louis interim coach. The Canadiens’ overall winless streak is 10 games, their worst skid since 1926.
PENGUINS 4, DEVILS 2: Brian Boyle scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, Tristan Jarry made 28 saves and visiting Pittsburgh kept rolling with a win over New Jersey.
Mike Matheson, Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel also scored for the Penguins, who won their third straight overall and sixth straight on the road. Pittsburgh improved to 7-1-3 in its last 11 games.
Boyle whipped the puck past Devils goalie Jon Gillies at 6:58 of the third. Guentzel cemented the win with an empty-netter at 18:53, his team-best 24th goal of the season.
AVALANCHE 4, STARS 0: Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves for his second shutout this season, Gabriel Landeskog scored two goals and streaking Colorado won at Dallas.
The Avalanche increased their franchise-record point streak to 19 games (17-0-2) and their NHL-leading point total to 72 in 46 games.
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