Bobby Ryan's two goal night helped propel the Ottawa Senators past the St. Louis Blues in overtime. Ryan scored the game-tying goal in the third period and won the game in overtime for the Sens.

Andrew Hammond and Brian Elliot manned the nets for their respective teams. Hammond 22-4-4 in his young NHL career but just 3-3-1 this season. Holding onto a .927 save percentage and a 2.35 goals against average.

Elliot, a former Ottawa Senator, is 5-4-2 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.41 goals against average taking over the backup role with the St. Louis Blues.

The first period had a slow pace, with both teams struggling to generate much offense. Each team has struggled to score as of late and it showed in the first. Ottawa was coming off two straight shutout losses and St. Louis has only scored four five on five goals in the past five games.

St. Louis Strikes First

Each team had a chance on the power play to cash in but both faltered. The game was scoreless until Troy Brouwer snapped his nine game scoreless drought, sneaking in off the wing and snapping a wrist shot over the glove hand of Hammond to open the scoring.

That would be all the goals scored in the opening period but an unlikely combatant to drop the mitts, Carl Gunnarsson, duked it out with tough guy Max McCormick. Gunnarsson had one minor penalty all season last year, he would end with nine penalty minutes in the game.

The Blues went on the power play twice to start the second period finally cashing in on the second. The puck rolled back to Kevin Shattenkirk at the point who blasted one through traffic and fooled Hammond to put the Blues up 2-0.

With less than 2:00 remaining in the period the Senators showed some life. On just their second power play of the game, Bobby Ryan sent a pass cross ice to an open Mike Hoffman who rifled the puck under the arm of Brian Elliot who was having a real solid outing.

Ryan Ties It And Caps It Off For Sens

Jay Bouwmeester would put the Senators on the power play again just under five minutes into the third and Bobby Ryan made no mistake. Tying the game at two with more than half the game remaining. Needing just 4 seconds of the power play Ryan sailed his 200th career goal over a screened Elliot.

After a back and forth overtime period, both teams trading rushes and scoring chances Bobby Ryan sealed the victory with a deke to the back hand, flipping the puck over a sprawled Elliot for his 23rd career game winner.

Bobby Ryan finished with three points (2G, 1A)

Ottawa snapped their scoreless drought. Total time without a goal was 174:24.

Mike Hoffman scored the last goal before the drought and was also the one to snap it.

St.Louis has just one win in their last five games. Their last victory was a 3-2 shootout victory over the Dallas Stars on December 26th. 

Mika Zibanejad left the game in the first period after taking a stick to the face and did not return.