Carolina Hurricanes' Eric Staal, left, skates away as Ottawa Senators' Chris Neil and Jean-Gabriel Pageau (44) celebrate a goal by teammate Zack Smith, not shown, on Hurricanes goalie Eddie Lack (31) during second period NHL hockey action in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Cody Ceci scored the winning goal early in the third period Thursday night as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2.
Alex Chiasson, Zack Smith and Mark Stone, with an empty netter, also scored for the Senators (27-26-6). Craig Anderson stopped 30 shots.
Jordan Staal and Riley Nash scored for the Hurricanes, (26-21-10), who didn't pick up a point for the first time in six games. Eddie Lack made 18 saves.
It was one year ago today that the Senators started their remarkable streak that saw them go 23-4-4 to slide into the post-season.
With the game tied 2-2, Ottawa regained the lead 3:50 into the third when Ceci's shot was deflected and the puck managed to float its way behind Lack. Stone added the empty-net goal at 19:59.
The Senators took a 2-1 lead at the five-minute mark of the second as Smith beat Lack with an ugly goal that slipped under the netminder's left arm.
Ottawa gave up a late goal to tie the game 2-2. With just under two minutes remaining Nash beat Anderson with a wrist shot on the power play.
The Senators opened the scoring, something of a rarity this season, when Curtis Lazar made a great pass to Chiasson, who beat Lack from the slot.
Ottawa is now 17-3 when scoring first.
The Senators played a solid first period but were unable to hold off the Hurricanes, who scored with 23 seconds remaining as Jordan Staal beat Anderson through the legs.
Notes: C Shane Prince was a healthy scratch for the Senators. D Mark Borowiecki missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. Carolina's C Nathan Gerbe and C Brad Malone were healthy scratches. D Justin Faulk is out with a leg injury.